3 WOMEN WIN IN LANDMARK TRIPOLI POLLS
By Nicolas Tohme

June 3, 2004 - (The Daily Star) For the first time in the history of this ancient city, three women will serve on the 24-member municipal council that was elected Sunday.

The development comes as somewhat of a surprise, since modernist tendencies, which marked the life of the city since the beginning of last century, have gradually receeded in favor of a more traditional bent supported by the revival of religious fundamentalism.

Young girls are no longer seen mingling with the other sex except on Mina Road. Most movie theaters have been closed, while the activities of associations are almost nonexistent.

Meanwhile, more and more women wear the veil.

In the 2000 parliamentary elections, only university professor Aisha Mussalli and Ghada Ibrahim dared to enter the electoral fray, but Mussalli withdrew and Ibrahim received a paltry number of votes.

This year, however, some members of the Tripoli list campaigned under a banner of change, which seemed to manifest itself in the candidacy of three women: Samira Baghdadi, a professor at Universite Saint Joseph and a social activist; Mirvat Hawz, a professor at Balamand University's faculty of engineering; and journalist Layla Tayshouri, who is also an activist in the environment and development fields.

"I don't like to distinguish between the roles of women and men," Baghdadi said. "When there is competence, they complement each other."

Baghdadi says women are nearer to the needs of people and more able to understand their concerns and sufferings.

"Men's character, especially in traditional societies, is dominated by their love for superiority and a failure to address small details," she added. "However, change cannot take place unless you go into the details."

Baghdadi, who said she did not have any political affiliation, added that she had gained valuable competency in the fields of municipal work, globalization and democracy from workshops she attended in Europe.

"My experience has taught me a very important thing," she said. "The municipal council should be a complementary working team rather than giving all the authority to the mayor."

Meanwhile, Tayshouri said women can play a role in all fields that allow women to express themselves, including journalism, association work, political parties and municipalities.

"I entered the battle of municipal work as a rebellious opposition figure who refused the reality of our city," Tayshouri said. "The municipal seat is not my objective, it is only a means ... to defend the rights of the city and its people."

In the 1998 municipal elections, the Alawite and Christian names were crossed out from the competing electoral lists. This year, though, Tayshouri will represent the Alawite community on the municipal council.

Hawz, who holds a doctorate in environmental engineering as well as a degree in water-sector privatization from Germany, seems to have all the required qualifications for mayor of Tripoli, since so many of the municipality's issues are related to the environment.

She also holds degrees in development management and industrial relations from Australia and is a member of the ministerial committee charged with preparing curricula related to Environment Engineering.

From: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_ID=1&article_ID=4788&categ_id=2