Change Begins Within Us.

In the small village of Khillet al-Maiya, located in the southern part of Hebron Governorate, there lived a man named Khalil. He grew up in an environment that highly valued traditions and customs, which dictated that a woman’s role was in the home without the option of working outside the home.

Nisreen, Khalil’s wife, had a dream since her childhood: to own a pastry business. She had a unique talent for making sweets and pastries and dreamed of sharing her skills with the villagers. Nisreen repeatedly tried to persuade Khalil to support her in achieving her dream, but her attempts were in vain. Khalil believed that her work would alter the families public standing with the community by implying her husband is not able to support his family. She didn’t want her husband to resent her for this change in public perception or to face scrutiny from her community.

One day, after the Adwar Organization organized awareness sessions aimed at supporting women’s participation in society through the establishment of a men’s alliance, Khalil was invited to attend these sessions by one of his close friends, whose opinion he trusted. Initially, Khalil was hesitant to attend, but he eventually decided to give it a chance.

During the awareness sessions, Khalil listened to success stories of many women who had contributed to improving the conditions of their families and communities through work and active participation. Through videos shown during the sessions, he saw various examples of how women managed to balance work and family life and how they played a role in the economic development of their communities. Gradually, Khalil’s perspective began to change.

After the sessions ended, Khalil returned home and started to seriously think about the matter. He realized that supporting Nisreen could be a positive step and that he could help her achieve her dream without abandoning his values and principles. He talked to Layla again, but this time his tone was different. He told her about the awareness sessions and what he had learned from them, expressing his willingness to support her.

Khalil and Nisreen began planning together to open the business. Khalil worked on preparing the place while Layla prepared her best recipes and tested them on a larger scale. The local organization also provided support by offering additional training and advice on managing the business.

The shop finally opened, and to their surprise, the villagers were enthusiastic and supportive. They knew of Nisreen’s talent and were happy that she had found a way to achieve her dream. The shop began attracting customers from the village and became a source of pride for the family.

Khalil and Nisrren became a role model in the village. Khalil realized that supporting his wife was not a violation of traditions but a step towards a better future for them and their family. “I paid the electricity bill as soon as it arrived without waiting for my husband to come home and pay it. It might seem trivial, but it meant a lot to me” said Nisreen.

Their success story became an inspiration for many women in the village to pursue their dreams and for many men to rethink their attitudes towards women’s work.