By Gazan standards, Raja Shahwan had everything a woman could ask for: a loving husband with a steady job, and three beautiful children. So when Raja decided she wanted more and enrolled in university in her thirties, she was met by disapproval and denouncement from her family and community. It only got worse when she decided her bachelor degree was not enough and started looking for a job.
“Raja, you have to care for your children and husband,” Raja’s best friend reprimanded her, “You don’t have time to spend on other people’s problems.”
For two years, she searched for a job to no avail. Under continuous blockade and having been hit by three wars in the past seven years, the Gaza strip has an unemployment rate of 60 per cent among youth. While more and more Gazan women receive education and take jobs because of the dire economic conditions, traditional gender norms continue to play a strong role in the labour marketing, putting women at a disadvantage.
“Why would someone choose you when many more are out there looking for a job?” Raja’s cousin once said to discourage her from her job search, “You’ll spend your life looking for a job and you still won’t find one. You’re better off spending this time with your family.”
She got her first job in 2011 as a health educator. By 2014, Raja became one of 60 women activists organized in 6 women local committees that were created in Gaza through a partnership between the Women Affairs for Technical Committee and UN Women’s regional programme “Spring Forward for Women”. The committees were established to balance the lack of women’s representation in the official local councils and are now the go-to destination of local women to seek support with their community problems. Through extensive capacity building, Raja is now able to conduct community-based awareness and advocacy initiatives, intervene in mediations and mobilize local civil society for women’s participation in public life.
Her experience taught her much, Raja said, especially about how it feels to stand up to one’s community. If it weren’t for her husband’s support, it would have been her against the world. So, when a young Gazan woman recently walked in the office of Raja’s committee complaining about her father objecting to her university education, Raja insisted on taking the case, secured a full scholarship for the young woman, and intervened with the father to allow his daughter to continue her studies.
“Work is essential for everyone, but especially for women because it gives us a voice”, Raja said, “I can’t imagine my life without waking up every morning to go to work and help other women”
In the aftermath of the 2014’s aggression that claimed the lives of over 1500 civilians and displaced a 100 thousand people, 80% of Gazans were in need of humanitarian assistance. At the time, Raja led an advocacy campaign for women’s participation in the reconstruction process, engaging 10 women and human rights civil society organizations, leading a peaceful demonstration at the doors of the UN Development Programme and organizing a letter signing movement.
“I used to be timid, afraid of even going into official buildings to request documents,” Raja recalled with a smile, “Now I’m a different woman and I know my rights. I can raise my voice for myself and for other women.”
Magazine / April, 2013 11
a step At a time
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