The CFC

9 Feb 2013
Comments

140 notes

roxygen:

Palestinian women-only list makes bid for municipal council
HEBRON, WEST BANK – On Saturday, Palestinians went to the polls in an election that is being closely watched by the Palestinian Authority and by the international community. The vote for municipal councils is seen as a precursor for parliamentary and presidential elections, even though Hamas is boycotting the vote. Hamas insists the elections, which have been delayed on numerous occasions since their originally scheduled date in 2010, should not take place before Palestinian reconciliation.
Meanwhile, in Hebron, an all-female slate – thought to be the first in the Arab world – is contesting seats for the West Bank’s most populous city. Headed by Maysoun Qawasfi, a mother of five children aged 7 through 20, she recruited ten other women – as young as 26 years old – to join her. An impressive speaker (in both Arabic and English), Qawasmi works a full-time job for the Palestinian news agency Wafa. She has invested a few thousands of dollars of her own money in the campaign, believing that women can make a difference, particularly in the religiously conservative city of Hebron.
[…]
On Thursday, the last official day of campaigning, I spent the day with Qawasmi in Hebron, a city burdened by Palestinian bureaucracy, and divided and constrained by Israeli occupation. Even as we spoke, Israeli military jets flew overhead. Qawasmi believes that the existing guard – the men – have failed to bring about the changes that Palestinians need, from jobs, to education, and an end to the occupation.
It’s unclear how well her “Women’s List” party will do. It consists of eleven candidates vying for spots on the 15-member council. By law, one-fifth of the seats must be reserved for women, and indeed many of the more official parties have women listed on their slates. Qawasmi’s independent party may not even get one seat. But she insists she is already a winner.

Palestinian women-only list makes bid for municipal council

HEBRON, WEST BANK – On Saturday, Palestinians went to the polls in an election that is being closely watched by the Palestinian Authority and by the international community. The vote for municipal councils is seen as a precursor for parliamentary and presidential elections, even though Hamas is boycotting the vote. Hamas insists the elections, which have been delayed on numerous occasions since their originally scheduled date in 2010, should not take place before Palestinian reconciliation.

Meanwhile, in Hebron, an all-female slate – thought to be the first in the Arab world – is contesting seats for the West Bank’s most populous city. Headed by Maysoun Qawasfi, a mother of five children aged 7 through 20, she recruited ten other women – as young as 26 years old – to join her. An impressive speaker (in both Arabic and English), Qawasmi works a full-time job for the Palestinian news agency Wafa. She has invested a few thousands of dollars of her own money in the campaign, believing that women can make a difference, particularly in the religiously conservative city of Hebron.

[…]

On Thursday, the last official day of campaigning, I spent the day with Qawasmi in Hebron, a city burdened by Palestinian bureaucracy, and divided and constrained by Israeli occupation. Even as we spoke, Israeli military jets flew overhead. Qawasmi believes that the existing guard – the men – have failed to bring about the changes that Palestinians need, from jobs, to education, and an end to the occupation.

It’s unclear how well her “Women’s List” party will do. It consists of eleven candidates vying for spots on the 15-member council. By law, one-fifth of the seats must be reserved for women, and indeed many of the more official parties have women listed on their slates. Qawasmi’s independent party may not even get one seat. But she insists she is already a winner.