- Dec 6, 2009
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RAMALLAH, West Bank At 35, Leila Ghanem is the first woman to become a Palestinian governor, the latest in a group of trailblazing women leaders who are slowly winning acceptance in this traditional society.
Ghanem, a former intelligence agent, joins a cluster of women in senior positions in the West Bank district of Ramallah, a political and economic hub known for its relatively liberal social attitudes, where she was appointed governor earlier this year. The mayor of the district's main city is a woman, as are four ministers in the Palestinian Cabinet, two Islamic court judges and the head of a Palestinian financial oversight agency.
t's a place where Palestinian women are clustered in senior positions. Janet Mikhail, a 65-year-old retired school principal, was elected Ramallah city mayor in 2005. Last year, Khuloud Faqih, 35, was one of two women judges appointed in the West Bank's Islamic courts.
Another woman, Abir Awdeh, heads the Palestine Capital Market Authority, which regulates the non-banking financial sector, such as insurance companies and mortgage lenders. Four women serve in Fayyad's 22-member Cabinet, the highest number in any government since the Palestinian Authority was established in the 1990s.
In Gaza, one woman, Jamila Shanti, occupies a senior position in Hamas' decision-making body. They also have 6 female legislators and there are several women in senior municipal posts.
Women in charge in West Bank's key district - Yahoo! News
Ghanem, a former intelligence agent, joins a cluster of women in senior positions in the West Bank district of Ramallah, a political and economic hub known for its relatively liberal social attitudes, where she was appointed governor earlier this year. The mayor of the district's main city is a woman, as are four ministers in the Palestinian Cabinet, two Islamic court judges and the head of a Palestinian financial oversight agency.
t's a place where Palestinian women are clustered in senior positions. Janet Mikhail, a 65-year-old retired school principal, was elected Ramallah city mayor in 2005. Last year, Khuloud Faqih, 35, was one of two women judges appointed in the West Bank's Islamic courts.
Another woman, Abir Awdeh, heads the Palestine Capital Market Authority, which regulates the non-banking financial sector, such as insurance companies and mortgage lenders. Four women serve in Fayyad's 22-member Cabinet, the highest number in any government since the Palestinian Authority was established in the 1990s.
In Gaza, one woman, Jamila Shanti, occupies a senior position in Hamas' decision-making body. They also have 6 female legislators and there are several women in senior municipal posts.
Women in charge in West Bank's key district - Yahoo! News
