They Answer... on Women's Affairs (A Reportage)

... In Tripoli there are the harbingers of a women's renaissance, scholarly and cultural, whose echo has until now remained far from the pages of "The Woman's Voice." Our thanks to our friend Jihan Gazawi Aony, who wished to make good this omission and acquaint the readers with the faces of this blessed renaissance. We are pleased to present, in her first reportage, three of the elite of the ladies of Tripoli, answering questions put to them on women's affairs among us...

1 — What are the qualities that please you in the contemporary Lebanese woman, and those that do not please you in her?

2 — Do you see in her storming of the fields of work something that weakens her feminine personality, or something that confirms it?

3 — What are your wishes for her, and what do you warn her against?

Dr. Hadiya al-Rifai:

1 — The Lebanese woman has many merits. Among them: she is self-sacrificing in her devotion as a wife, great in her sacrifice as a mother, strong in her emotions as a woman, with a high brow crowned by dignity and self-respect; and her delicate sensibility and her patience in bearing pains, whether of body or of spirit, make a full record that bears witness to that great soul.

What does not please me in some of them — and I say it with regret — is smallness of personality and lack of self-confidence, so that we find the woman stripped of dignity, resigned to the painful fate imposed on her by her natural disposition and her social position; and we see her, her muscles gone slack, her nerves collapsed, her thinking weakened, until she has become a corpse without a soul, tossed about by the waves of selfishness and ignorance, crying out in panic and fear for someone to extend a helping hand, begging rescue — and the deep casts her moaning onto distant shores, where humiliation, ignorance, and deprivation dwell.

2 — For the woman to enjoy a strong and attractive personality she must storm the various fields of work, so as to acquire broad experience of noble works. This storming is ambition itself: by its means she learns, and through learning she becomes cultivated and grows strong morally, spiritually, and materially. And before long we see before us none other than a noble working woman with her head held high, confident in herself as a complete human being, able to carry her social and family mission in the fullest manner. Then shall we have the right to glorify the hero, for he is of her making, and to bow our heads before the great genius, for greatness springs from her inspiration.

3 — My wishes for her are that she respect herself courageously; that she be bold in her thinking, frank in her opinion, far from fantasy, a lover of truth, firm of resolve, a just educator and a faithful wife; that she be a useful, working member of society. And I hope she will continue on her way with a steady step forward, without hesitation, until she reaches her desired goal — that she be that captain who steers his ship with all precision, skill, and knowledge until he brings it, safe and sound, to the secure shore.

I warn her against turning to look behind her, listening to the voices of the wailing ignorant — where lie laziness, slackness, disorder, extravagance, and want of frankness; against neglecting the affairs of her home and leaving it in the hands of the ignorant; against frequenting the gambling clubs now spreading everywhere; and finally I warn her against filling her time with empty visits that yield nothing but a fortune in gossip.

Miss Salam Khoury:

She has been influenced by French currents of thought, having lately taken her degree in France. She holds frank, unextreme views on the Arab woman, and has made her own efforts to bring her into harmony with the concepts of the conscious modern age.

1 — What pleases me in the contemporary Lebanese woman is her natural beauty, her intelligence, her endowments, and her innate aptitudes which, if polished and directed, would develop her personality and bring it out, would make her climb swiftly the ladder of civilization and progress and surpass all the women of the world. I am pleased especially by her devotion, her self-denial, and her obedience to her family, her husband, and her children.

As for what does not please me in her, it is the weakness of her personality, her want of self-confidence, her superficiality, and her dependence on others. She lives on the margin of life, contenting herself with a little of it, and amuses herself socially with trifling matters.

2 — The answer depends on the woman's conception of femininity. It is very difficult to define the meaning of femininity. If it is confined solely to attractive outward form, and to the weakness and dependence that certain circles find endearing, then work weakens these traits and labors to efface them... and the Lebanese woman has an ample share of them.

But if femininity is, as others understand it — and as I myself believe it to be — a collection of noble feelings and emotions proper to woman and natural in her... then work polishes these qualities, for it brings her close to life and its tragedies, refining her sensibility, giving her experience, and increasing her culture; her horizons widen and her personality crystallizes, so that she becomes able to grasp the meaning of true femininity and works to develop it and bring it forth.

3 — I wish for her liberation from her fetters, and the struggle for its sake — and that it come by way of learning, conscious culture, and work. She must abandon this fear of life that dominates her, feel her responsibility, and go down into the fields of work. Earning her living is her road to liberation and independence, for it develops her feeling and gains her the endearing human qualities; thus she will refuse to be a commodity, and keep far from humiliation and servitude.

But she must not misunderstand liberty; she must use it well, and preserve certain lofty Eastern moral traditions and customs.

A self-made woman who cut her difficult path successfully through the family traditions crouching in the way.

Her balanced views, drawn from reality and from the influence of Anglo-American culture, she applies without fear; and she concerns herself besides with the modern science of education, having taken her degree in it from the American University of Beirut.

1 — The Lebanese woman concerns herself with the affairs of her family and the happiness of each of its members, even after they reach full maturity; she always gathers together the old and the young, sacrifices her comfort, her happiness, and all her rights as a human being for the sake of her family; she denies herself and gives up not only her ease but even the safeguarding of her rights; and she is, without doubt, a wife faithful to the furthest limits of fidelity.

But the chief thing the woman lacks, even in our most advanced circles, is the education and culture that would enable her to direct her children well, making them useful members of society and good citizens — teaching them that just as they have rights in society, they also have duties toward its success.

2 — Woman's storming of the fields of work is a vital necessity for herself, for her family, and for her country; and women have proved that they succeed brilliantly in all the works they undertake.

As for the woman losing her femininity, I believe that is something that happens only in rare cases — especially if she is of solid upbringing and broad culture, keeping far from vulgarity and affectation and from attempting to imitate men in matters where she ought not to imitate them, and always preserving her modesty and good manners. The well-bred, well-mannered woman commands the respect of her male colleagues, creates a refined atmosphere around her, and obliges the men to conduct themselves properly in their dealings with her.

3 — I wish for the woman that she learn and broaden her culture — for knowledge and culture have no limit — and that she work without weariness, for thereby she serves herself, her family, and her homeland. And I advise her to keep far from vanity and selfishness, for no one can be well unless others are well too.

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