UB: Would you say that there is an emancipatory moment in the entry of these young women in the labor market and if so where is it manifested?
OA: Their new role as breadwinners has certainly given space for women to become decision-maker, house-keeper, and a main player at home as well. It has given women the choice to partner with the male figure in the household in shouldering responsibility, giving and receiving support. The majority of women in the camps (whether single or married) have attested to the fact that because of the money they bring to the household, they are more respected, their views are taken into consideration more often, they contribute to the decision-making and the funding of some of the family’s ventures, such as educating a younger brother, building an additional floor or expanding the house.
Change is happening for sure. Men are slowly accepting more to be at par with women at home, in terms of income-sharing and sharing housework. The process is long term, men need to accept women as their peers and partners. Before they head out to the factory and after they return, women still have to clean the house, the difference is that male siblings now help out with whatever tasks she cannot do. This change is part of a social practice inculcated by parents, who divide tasks amongst themselves and their children so that each member of the family feels implicated in the functioning and order of the household, regardless of how small or mundane the task.
UB: Besides these remarkable changes in women’s lives, did they speak about a greater mobility in the public sphere or the advantages of being in contact with women beyond their usual social field?
OA: Economic liberalization and globalized markets have boosted consumption in Jordan. Particularly for women, there is a whole new consumer culture that brings them out of their house and into the public sphere every day. With their new income, women can afford (and enjoy) a more stylish disposition, consuming fashion, make-up, perfumes and accessories. This is most visible with women who are not the main breadwinner of the household, and who spend part of their salary on outings to cafés, restaurants and malls and mobile phones that help them organize this new social life. The factory job allowed women to build friendships, most obviously with other women but also, in a more concealed manner, with men.
Women working at the QIZ appreciate the mobility and exposure. Some women have moved from a rural life to looking for work outside the country. Naimeh, for instance, worked at a traditional farm before working at the factory. During nine months, she divided her time between day-work at the QIZ and training as a hairdresser in the evenings. With the new skills she began to investigate job opportunities in the Gulf, where salaries are much higher than in Jordan. When I interviewed her, Naimeh was expecting to hear from a beauty salon in the UAE, she had recently turned down an offer to work in Saudia Arabia, for a salary of 500JDs. She said: “I don’t have to go and stay in a remote village and live alone. I can leave and get a better job and a better life.”
In the refugee camps, where a salary is vital for coping with quotidian expenses, many women have managed to make a real difference with their income. Nihaya was able to build and furnish a house for the family while her mother-in-law was taking care of her children. The house was registered in her husband’s name becaue it would be inconceivable to have a house registered in the name of a woman in the family. Tagrid, who lives in Al Husun camp, is another story of a ‘dream come true’, she earned a university degree in English while doing night shifts at the QIZ. After her graduation, she was recruited at the factory to be the official translator with the foreign investors. She fulfilled her objectives in getting an education, finding a better job and becoming financially independent.
