By Sara Elghobashy
March 1, 2009
Leila Ghannam is joining the ranks of the rising number of women entering governing positions throughout the world. The 35-year-old former intelligence officer is now the governor of Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank.
Ghannam was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of an effort to squash an uprising by Hamas. She formerly served as captain of the Palestinian intelligence service and has a PhD in psychology from Egypt. Her appointment came as a surprise since candidates to the governorship are usually selected from Fatah’s military wing.
But don’t be fooled, Ghannam sounds just as tough as any military official. As commander of all the armed forces in Ramallah, Ghannam has warned that “Any attempt to mount an uprising by Hamas, any slightly illegal act will be met with an iron fist.” And when it comes to the Israeli army, she says, “The Israeli army is being provocative by entering this region. Ther should know that they must coordinate with me in the future.” Sounds like a person no one should mess with!
And as for being the first female governor, Matti Steinberg (an expert on Palestinian issues, according to the Times Online) believes that her appointment sends the message to women in the West Bank that they too can “Go work and improve their standard of living.” If only it actually was that easy to find a job in Palestine, but the reality is that there are very few opportunities available – and not just for women.
Still, I think the appointment of a woman to a position of power does send an important message to women everywhere. In addition, this as well as other news of female leadership in the region helps to change perceptions of the Middle East. And we can certainly use more of that!
Source: Times Online
Contact the author:
E-mail: selghobashy@elanthemag.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SahRahBash
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