It turned out that the loan and the enterprise had a major impact on changing the community perception of the borrowers, and increased their respect and apprecia- tion considering them as a reference for many women around them, and an ideal example for them since they were able to contribute in improving their families’ eco- nomic situation as well as that most of them emerged at the level of community work.
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Shareefa, a borrower: her enterprise is a home garden and sheep farming. Mrs. Shareefa is married and has five children. Her economic status was very difficult. Her husband is sick and cannot work as well as her children are in school age. Through her enterprise, Shareefa was able to improve her economic status and to educate her children at universities. In addition, she has developed herself through joining training courses provided by the lending institution. She is now providing training in many villages in the fields of handicrafts (embroidery, painting on cop- per, etc.). Shareefa changed her social status, her level of community participa- tion, and the economic level of her family, her family members, and her village. Everybody respects and appreciates her for she, as they say, sacrificed a lot and worked hard and changed her family’s economic and social situation.
One of the female field workers mentioned “community perception of these women has become better, and they have become role models for other women who seek their advice and consultation regarding loans and in the development of the family’s situation.” Another field worker confirmed that “after the enterprise, the community perception of these women changed. They are successful and support their hus- bands. They are considered active participants in the community and other women seek their consultation.”
This appreciation is associated primarily with the enterprise success. The findings of the questionnaire showed that for 76% of borrowers, the community perception toward them has changed and this percentage had increased to 79% if the enter- prise was the family’s main source of income. And as interpreted by women, they emerged from the surrounding environment relying on their abilities to convert their potentials to sources of family support, and that the surrounding community con- sidered them an ideal example for excellence. Women turn to them saying, “Tell us how you did that.”
The controversial subject of discussion is that the community change regarding its attitude towards women increases along with the enterprise span life even if it em- ploys others, i.e., with the enterprise development, expansion, increase in its impact on the surrounding community, and sometimes its transformation from micro-enter- prise to a small one. Table 6.2 shows that appreciation reaches 83% and increases as enterprise life increases and reaches 93% in case of employing others.
Community obstacles that faced women also decreased regarding female entrepre- neurs’ movement after setting up the enterprise. The community turned to respect women’s achievements and does not interfere. A woman borrower stated: “in the past, the people of the village were interfering when i leave my house, but after the enterprise i go out as i want either to work, or even for a walk to the extent i go walking at night and that is what i did not do before.”
Based on her experience, a representative of one of the lending institutions said that, “these women have strong personalities and strange determination and they were able to switch their hard conditions and develop themselves. Nothing can stand way”
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Mrs. Fida’ from Ya’bad got more than a loan from the loan institution and set up an enterprise, and opened a commercial shop. The enterprise expanded and devel- oped to be a big (supermarket). She is now considering opening a nursery using the profits of enterprise. She is economically independent and made a significant change in her social and economic life. She became one of the well-known ladies in the society in the town of Ya’bad and people seek her advice and financial and social assistance. She resolves many problems that occur between women, whom she knows, and their husbands. She became a social activist who is involved in many workshops as well as being a candidate for the membership of the munici- pality of Ya’bad. She is sterile and has no children and she does not mind if her husband married, on condition that he divorces her to marry a man who does not want children.
It has been noted that self-empowerment and self-confidence contributed to that change, besides the success of the enterprise. The community participation after the success of the enterprise and its development gave women borrower more respect and appreciation.
Representatives of community and women’s organizations as well as community leaders stated a lot of live examples of the borrowers who were able to change their families’ situation and their lives as well for the better becoming an role model in vil- lage representing the women’s ability to exit her family out of poverty, and a model of the strong personality and the ability to change. Here we cite a few examples of borrowers whom they know about their situation and witnessed the change resulted from the loan and their enterprises success:
“Samar Damaj”, the coordinator of “In Order Not to Forget Association” in Jenin refugee camp said that the loan and the enterprise had a positive change on the social level of one of the borrowers from the camp. She noticed that there was a change in the borrower’s skills to communicate with the society in general, and de- velopment of her dealing with her husband. Meanwhile, Samar added that she had not noticed a change in the borrower husband’s participation in the house chores but he participated in bringing up of children. With regard to decisions inside home, Ms. Samar said that the decisions are all taken in partnership between the bor- rower and her husband. Also, she noted that the borrower plays a role within the family as she considers herself the source of decision-making in addition to being the financial resource. Furthermore, there has been a change in her community participation: she became involved in first aid courses and shares her children in the activities of their kindergarten. This did not exist before.
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“Sharaf Addin Abdullah Muhanna” – Director at the Ministry of National Economy in Hebron – stated that through his familiarity with some borrowers whose enter- prises were successful noticed that this had a significant impact on their social em- powerment. He mentioned that these borrowers after getting their loans and the establishment of successful enterprises became an ideal example to be followed, increasing their self-confidence in front of their community and their families. Also, as they become productive and are in the labor market; this makes their personali- ties stronger, and they have more skills in all their social life aspects as well as they are able to analyze their real life properly. In addition, their husbands’ participation inside home has although it is not in the proper level but there was a slight posi- tive change in this aspect. For those borrowers whom he knows, he mentioned that their family resort to them to take the decision and to get the financial sup- port at the same time. He stated that their interest in developing themselves has increased and they got driving licenses to transport their own agricultural products by themselves. In addition, their social participations have increased and their at- tendance of women’s sessions and meetings also has increased. They aspire to be in leading positions in community.
Mr. “Kazem Al-Moa’qat” - Director of Jericho Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture – said that through his familiarity with some women borrowers whose enterprises succeeded, he noticed great changes to their effectiveness, participa- tion and respect in society. He talked about a borrower who set up a kindergarten. He noticed a significant change in the extent of her communication and network- ing abilities as her confidence in herself increased and became more able to face the life difficulties. He also added that the loans and enterprises have had a major positive role in giving women the freedom to get out of the house, and mix with community. Her skills to communicate with her family and her husband and the en- tire surrounding environment have increased. He said that these enterprises have increased the capabilities of women to dialogue with their husbands before taking a decision in any subject. Unfortunately the implementation of these decisions is still done based on the husband’s will because we live in a male-dominated soci- ety. He added, it is difficult to change the man’s concepts regarding housework. Indeed, these enterprises did not change the pattern of life of these women in their homes, and their husbands do not help them in anything. He stated that the reason behind women’s turnout to get loans and set up their enterprises is economic and to increase their income. He added that some of them ran for Jericho municipal elections and that their work and success made the community look at them with respect and appreciation for they are: hard workers and productive.
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Mayor of Beit Rima (Ms. Fathia Rimawi) said she knew one of the borrowers, a widow lady and that she has noticed a significant change on the life of this bor- rower. The enterprise promoted her self-confidence, opened the horizons for her, increased her ability to communicate and network, enhanced the sense of security, and raised her spirits, in particular, as she is a widow. She is the decision maker at home and the family reference; even she is the head of her family and has free- dom to come out of the village whenever and however she wants. Also, Ms. Fathia stated that there is no doubt that economic independence and her work provide her with this power and enable her to impose her personality on her family and her community. She added that this lady has different community participations as she participates in elections and attends various workshops, especially in the subject of women and early marriage, adding that this lady was suffering from verbal vio- lence of her sons, but what we observed that her children have changed a lot and do not dare to say any word for her. This woman is an ideal model in the village. There are many success stories and the lending institutions and the female field workers mentioned examples about women who have succeeded and changed their reality and their families and achieved further development and success in the enter- prises.
Also, this impact has been obvious among non-borrowers, where 95% of them said that the point of view of the community has changed as a result of the beginning of the enterprise. Concerning the community and women’s perception of women bor- rowers they had reported that: “Upon their prominence in their enterprises, they have become ideal models at the level of their surrounding environment “. A
lady stated that, “Her neighbor visits her to teach her and she benefits from her experiences in the establishment of a revenue-generating enterprise.”
The borrowers and non-borrowers in Gaza agreed unanimously that there is a posi- tive change taking place in the community attitude toward women after their enter- prises’ success and their economic support to their families.