At The Woman's Voice Symposium — Whom Shall We Elect, and How?

Here is The Woman's Voice symposium, meeting once again to examine anew woman's position in the coming elections. This time it meets at the home of Mrs. Najla Saab, one of the prominent women's figures of this country, with a distinguished group of ladies: Laure Tabet, president of the League of Women's Organizations; Mari Yanni Ata Allah, one of the pioneers in the fields of patriotism and journalism; and Habiba Yakan, president of the Young Muslim Women's Association. As for the woman of letters Mrs. Anbara Salam Khalidi, she was absent for compelling reasons.

Our ladies began the discussion without preliminaries — "the iron is hot," and the subject has occupied minds ever since election day drew near. The first proposal laid on the table for discussion was that woman should demand a seat reserved for her in the Chamber... "because such an arrangement would make the elections easier for her and for the man," said Najla Saab.

That is so, agreed Laure Tabet, saying: "I read a proposal of this kind in one of the magazines, from the lips of a Pakistani lady, and I took it to His Excellency the President, who convinced me that the second step for us women, after we have won our full political right, is to struggle like the men to assert our personality..."

"In Chile," added Mari Ata Allah, "woman has reached, by her free efforts, the strength of her personality, and her sense of duty, a prominent position: she is a member of the Senate. But here, where the man is bought and sold at election time, woman must unite under the shelter of the women's organizations, whose duty it should be to take charge of these matters and to put forward a lady to represent them in the elections — a woman of high character, a self-sacrificing spirit, sound understanding, energy, and patriotism..."

"The women's organizations," Laure Tabet interrupted her, "are not a political party, that we should nominate one of our number and back her; but..."

"But," insisted Mari Ata Allah, "the organizations must, at this important stage, give proof of their solidarity and their confidence in woman, adopting a free patriotic personality and guaranteeing her success."

"I should like to draw Mrs. Ata Allah's attention," said Najla Saab, "to a simple and important matter... Adoption always rests upon a definite political principle. We in the women's organizations have no unified political principle among us, and each of our associations follows its own policy and its own principles... But the organizations must encourage the woman candidate and support her... As women, we believe in woman's right, and we shall not retreat from it after having fought for it... Our second step, then, is to exercise this right...!"

"I believe as you do, Najla," added Laure Tabet. "That is why I have lately resolved to come forward in the coming elections and stand as a candidate in Beirut; for I am fully convinced that woman and man stand on an equal footing, and therefore woman is required to exercise her right and to do her utmost to perform her duty toward her nation and the homeland..."

Mrs. Laure Tabet's declaration was a happy surprise, received with admiration and acclamation, and each one set about congratulating her on this decision, which calls for much daring, sacrifice, and courage — especially as the opposition against her in Beirut will be strong.

After that, Mari Ata Allah resumed: "What I mean, precisely, is that when the women's organizations know the candidate's capability and her firm principles, they must elect her and mobilize all their forces to that end..."

"Our hope and our aim," Najla Saab answered her, "is that all the women of Lebanon should come to the polling places and elect her... But so long as the women's organizations are not a political party with a definite electoral program, they cannot adopt any candidate; all they can do is support her out of conviction in her mission... And I personally prefer to support a man of competence rather than a woman merely because she is a woman."

That is so, agreed Habiba Yakan, "and I endorse what Mrs. Saab and Mrs. Tabet have put forward. But I propose that we have a program of our own and definite demands, and that we support the person who adopts them, whether woman or man... On the other hand, I endorse the nomination of woman to the Chamber; but I believe she lacks the experience sufficient to perform her duty toward her homeland..."

"And did the men have experience," Laure Tabet interrupted her, "when they entered the Chamber years ago!?"

"That is true," agreed Habiba Yakan, "but woman has less experience than man... There is in America an association called the 'Women Voters' association, whose aim is to educate woman in these matters — that is, in the laws and principles of elections... But unfortunately..." — "That is just what we were driving at, and our very aim!" exclaimed Najla and Laure together.

"We shall not reach that aim," Habiba went on, "until we make every individual a watchman over himself, and that by means of political and civic education... which must spring from the women's organizations, the universities, and the other institutions..."

"National education and national consciousness," added Najla Saab, "are the foundation of the democratic system. And our men and women are not versed in this field, for many reasons, among them the political upheavals. To repair this deficiency will take years, and many schools in every corner of this country. Is woman to wait all that time before entering the battle for the public good?! I believe woman will set right many things man has failed to set right, thanks to her gentleness, the spirit of sacrifice embodied in her, her precision, her discretion, and..."

"Political education," Laure Tabet finished, "is not important compared with national education, and..."

"One moment, my dear lady," Habiba Yakan interrupted her. "The word 'siyasa' (politics) is taken from the verb 'sasa, yasusu,' and this verb means to lead well and gently, so that a man leads another with that other's full consent, and..."

That is so, agreed Mari Ata Allah, "but this culture is unknown in this country. God rest Rihani, who said: a hundred years may pass over a people in acquaintance with learning before it can rightly be called 'cultured'..."

"Then woman must enter the field of politics," Laure Tabet rejoined, "in order to reach this aim."

"Certainly," said Habiba Yakan. "Woman is a mighty force: she guaranteed Eisenhower success in the American presidential election, in spite of all the Zionist opposition, because he promised her that he would not encourage war... So we must elect the candidate whose program embraces our demands — which are always for the public good, and especially the good of the family — and support him; then, once the deputy has won, we must follow him up and press for the fulfillment of the demands he promised us...

"We must not forget that many matters enter into these elections of ours... Personalities, central and local problems, party blocs, and other trifling complications confuse the lofty purpose for which the elections exist — the public good, first and last!

"Therefore woman must enter this field in an organized way, with a program to press for; and in the future the situation will change, and she will be able to achieve the national education we desire."

"Whether woman fails or succeeds in these elections, she will always succeed," Mari Ata Allah affirmed, "because woman always seeks the public good and 'brightens the face' of her kind, as she did in the Municipal Council... The woman who is good in her home is good in her society and in public life..."