Paul Calvert spoke with Samya Abu Hmud from the Tawjeeh Center, about the issues women face in Palestinian culture, the need to educate people about their rights, and the problem of religion.

Samya: Not all of them, because as I mentioned religion stands as a stone in your way. So if you want to do the thing, if you want to live as a free woman and doing what you want to do and to be available to do what you want to do, this stone is not letting you to do this thing. This is a big problem.

Why do we work with the children? Because we think that because we have to plant all these issues and all these thoughts with them to raise them with these free thoughts.

Paul: Why are women such an important part of Palestinian society?

Samya: It's a very important part yes, because she is important with her family in her house. She can accept everything and she can do everything and she is strong. When she faces obstacles she can do anything, because of this we want to let her defeat these obstacles so as to be more effective in society.

Paul: Is it important to start with the young people?

Samya: Yes it's very important, because they still don't have these strict issues in their mind and in their culture. So when you work with them, you open their eyes, and you culture them. You give them the first steps to go on and to do it right.

Paul: Is Palestine very much a man's world?

Samya: Yes, it's a man's world, because they are living through religion and in religion man is the first person in the family. So we are living in a masculine society.

Paul: Is there a lot of conflict in the home in general in Palestine?

Samya: Yes in many places. Not all places, but many places in Palestine there are conflicts because of this concept of the masculine society. Man thinks that he is responsible for the woman and this gives him the opportunity to rule her.

Paul: In society do many women feel controlled? Do they have to get their husband's permission to do something? Is that something that they feel is natural, or is it something they feel, no this isn't right?

Samya: Not all of them. The big problem is that a big number of them feel that it's natural. This is a big problem. So they live the same way, because it was mentioned in the holy books that man is responsible for the woman and he has to rule her, but in the other side in many places in Palestine, no you can see women fighting for their rights, and trying to change, working for democracy, trying to take their rights and working really as soldiers for women's rights to change this society.

Paul: Do men need to be educated?

Samya: Yes for sure. It's more important, because if you don't work with the man and you don't change the man, you are not going to change anything. He has to understand and believe with the woman's rights.