Rural women empowerment ( article in Now Lebanon)

Rural women empowerment
More than 500 women work in 32 cooperatives spread around rural Lebanon
Nicolas Lupo, May 23, 2012
 
The tray of candied orange peel occupies most of the table. Zainab Ahmud grabs a handful and places it in a plastic bag. She seals and moves it aside before repeating the process. Boxes of freshly made, traditional products pile up at the corner

of the metal table situated at the back of the large production room. Next to Ahmud, five women dressed in sanitary caps and gloves share the work, packing different products in cardboard boxes all set for delivery to the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
All the women here are from Arab Salim, a small village located five miles north of Nabatieh in South Lebanon. The building in which they work is located at the top of the hill overlooking the village, where they produce different local products that are later sent to the Namlieh store in Beirut.
Namlieh, the Arabic word for pantry, is the name of the project launched by the Collective for Research and Training on Development Action (CRTDA) back in 2003. "What we wanted to establish was a socio-economic development project for women in rural areas," says Nathalie Chemaly, the Namlieh project coordinator, “in order to [provide] products that [are rooted] in Lebanese customs and traditions but that are difficult to find in the capital.”
Funded by foreign grants from countries such as Canada and Spain, the project has been able to increase the number of participating cooperatives to 32 and has managed to involve over 500 women from different areas. But the project's coordinators were also aware of the regional differences. "[We] had to respect the traditions of each area, try not to be invasive, and establish priorities for the people," explains Chemaly.
Production is done under strict sanitary conditions. The building itself is impeccably clean, and the prepared food is subject to various quality tests. The women are required to use sanitary gloves and hats while at work, and any guest on the premises must also cover their hair with the green sanitary caps.
At the Namlieh store, which is located next to the National Museum in the Mathaf area in Beirut, one can browse and purchase the various products made by rural women. The products on sale are very diverse, ranging from the common rose water to some of the more unusual foods such as almond-stuffed green olives or pumpkin jam with vanilla. But the goal is one: to help preserve traditional recipes of the Lebanese cuisine, while protecting the environment and empowering rural women.
One of the project’s highlights is the active participation of women in the decision-making process. Meetings between the Namlieh project managers and the women take place at the beginning of each season in order to decide what each woman can offer.
"We, the women, have become more autonomous," says Samira Hara at the end of a hard day's work, "and have created a major economic dynamic in the village that was much weaker in the past."
Previously, the women worked from home. Now, it’s all about running a collective semi-business to sell their products. Hara told NOW Extra that their first steps were to learn how to properly use the scales and tag each product. But more importantly, the women have learned how to negotiate and when to put their foot down when purchasing produce from farmers.
"There is no competition between [the women] and the men as they offer different products. Also, [they both] purchase various raw materials from farmers in the region," confirmed Chemaly.
While packing bottles of rose water in a cardboard box, Nadera Amina talks about what has led the work. "Relations have changed since I work from home,” saying she feels more fulfilled. Even the men recognize that the more durable projects are those of the women's cooperative, which has been ongoing for nearly 10 years.
When the project began, women earned just $50 per season. Now, they can earn up to $2,000. And they do not work every month; rather, they work during the seasons that necessitate them to do so. Chemaly cites two anecdotes that illustrate the changes in women's behavior. "An elderly worker told us that she can now give money to her grandchildren without having to ask or consult her husband. Another woman said she can finally make the rearrangements she wanted at her home, [a thing] unimaginable after her husband died long ago."
This is how women empowerment begins. After nearly a decade, the women’s cooperatives now seek to break through new markets. They are looking into the possibility of selling their products to restaurants and of exporting them abroad. "We never force women to take decisions; we [offer] support so that they can take their own decisions independently," concludes Chemaly.
For more information on the Namlieh cooperatives, please click here.