訪談協助 / Mutaz Samir Jarrar
在約旦，旅行到了第三天，Mutaz問我要不要去RSCN (The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature)（註一）看看，二話不說地就答應了，說著「Yallah! (يلا) 我們去吧！」
(English is below.)
在那遇見了幾位於RSCN工作的女性：Ferial Shawashre (فريال الشواشره )、Haia Taloni (هيى طيلوني )、Intessar Zaitoon (أنصار زيتون )、Reem Al qudah (ريم القضاه)、Heba almomani (هبه المومني)與Khireah Qadhat (خيرية قدحات)。RSCN成立於1966年，為保護與管理約旦自然資源的國家組織，透過建立保護區保護動物與風景區，以及養殖瀕危物種免於滅絕；同時，結合學校與社區，透過實際參與提高對於環境問題的認識。RSCN最初計劃為整合社區資源，如阿拉伯文書法藝術、肥皂工廠等，並進行人才培育及有效利用在地資源，約莫在13年前開始了女性賦權(Woman empowerment )的計畫，一群女性加入了手工肥皂製作、阿拉伯文書法、準備廚房餐飲、公眾服務的工作。
傳統的伊斯蘭文化，女性須在家裡照顧丈夫與小孩，整頓家庭是她們的責任；雖然約旦法律保障平等的權益，但對於女性的歧視，不難在不平等的社會福利與施加於婦女的暴力行為等面向發現。
然而，為改善婦女的權益與地位，約旦當地政府與社會組織合作，約莫12年前，許多機構開始進行女性培力 (Woman empowement)的計畫，提供女性工作的機會，不僅使這些長期照顧家庭的女性有了人生新方向，同時協助改善家庭經濟，此類的計畫大幅改善社會對於性別不平等的價值觀念。
Ferial Shawashre فريال الشواشره
33歲，大學主修英語翻譯，加入RSCN計畫約5年，目前參與肥皂工坊與書法藝術工坊工作。
她說起當時大學畢業之時，找工作之際，發現RSCN在擁有英文與書法藝術的專業人才。在幾年後，因為計畫經費調整，她也開始參與手工肥皂製作的工作。
「在我的村莊並不支持女性工作，他們認為我應該要在家裡照顧丈夫與家人。但很幸運的是我的丈夫與家人支持我，而我也堅持下來了。在這裡跟同事們相處與學習，參與會議與向社會介紹我們的工作，也更知道如何同時兼顧家庭。」
女性加入計畫後，約旦政府開始進行人才培訓，這些計畫人員他們每日往返安曼(Amman)進行培訓，同時廣泛與有效運用學習到的新知識與技術，將自己的創意加入，使原本只有8種的手工香皂發展到25種，而這些香料的原料是向在地社群購買，並於家鄉進行種植，進而帶動community empowerment。
「手工香皂是我們的起點，未來會有更多不同的點子，與社區共同發展。
Haia Taloni (هيى طيلوني) 攪拌著肥皂原料說著：「妳聞，香吧！我們試著放了雛菊進去。下次妳來我再讓妳聞聞其他的肥皂」Haia開心地笑著、說著。
大學主修幼教的她，為了舒緩家庭經濟，至今已在RSCN工作12年，是首批7位進到的女性賦權專案的女性之一。
訪談途中差了進來Ferial泡了紅茶，Mutaz跟我說著，這紅茶真的很好喝，一片嘻鬧中，Haia接續說著：「而且我的丈夫當時在找有工作的女性，雙薪，能夠分擔家裡經濟，我們育有兩個女兒。」
「除了經濟之外，在工作之中我找到自己，更精進自己的能力。我們了解肥皂的製作方法，開始開發不同的產品，你看，架子上就放著我們的成果！」
約旦自從女性賦權計畫後，這批女性身邊都有丈夫或家人的支持；在歷經10多年後，社會大眾與傳統價值逐漸接納女性不僅只是在家照顧丈夫與家人，而外出工作能為家庭舒緩經濟、女性從中找到自我。
這些在RSCN工作的女性，她們從一塊肥皂、傳統書法藝術、食物開始，擴大社區資源利用，為故鄉帶來更多的想像與發展。
Intessar Zaitoon ( أنصار زيتون) 今年已經44歲，是核心計畫成員之一。過去尚未加入RSCN的計畫之前，她在故鄉是一位園藝師，丈夫在政府單位工作。有一次她跟一位RSCN的計畫人員聊天，問她：「妳在做什麼呢？」她說：「我在故鄉種植花朵。」接著他說到：「接下來我們有一個新的計劃想要改善水質，也開始進行女性賦權的培育計畫，你想加入我們的核心團隊嗎？」就這樣，Intessar就加入了RSCN的肥皂工坊。歷經12年於RSCN工作的Intessar，這些年協助RSCN建立肥皂工坊的計畫，持續開發相關的手工香皂產品。
Randy Pausch 在The Last Lecture曾寫到這麼一句話
“ The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”「那的磚牆是有原因的， 但不能阻止我們離開，反而讓我們有機會傳遞我們的想法。」時代變遷，使得傳統的社會價值觀逐漸改變，女性培力的計畫成了跨越磚牆的關鍵點。
時間飛快，對話就這麼到了尾聲，她們跟我說著：「再回來吧！回來我的故鄉，妳就會發現它有多美。」
註一：RSCN(The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature) http://www.rscn.org.jo/
Jordan: Every Flower from My Hometown Is My Treasure
Interview assistance / Mutaz Samir Jarrar
On my third day of traveling in Jordan, Mutaz asked me if I wanted to go visit the RSCN (The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature) (Note 1). I agreed without a second thought, saying: “Yallah! (يلا) Let’s go!”
There I met several women working at RSCN: Ferial Shawashre (فريال الشواشره), Haia Taloni (هيى طيلوني), Intessar Zaitoon (أنصار زيتون), Reem Al Qudah (ريم القضاه), Heba Almomani (هبه المومني), and Khireah Qadhat (خيرية قدحات).
RSCN was established in 1966 as Jordan’s national organization for the protection and management of natural resources. Through the establishment of nature reserves, it protects wildlife and landscapes and breeds endangered species to prevent extinction. At the same time, it works in conjunction with schools and communities to raise awareness of environmental issues through direct participation. RSCN’s initial plans centered on integrating community resources — such as Arabic calligraphy arts and a soap-making workshop — while building local talent and making effective use of local resources. About 13 years ago, a women’s empowerment program was launched, and a group of women joined to take up work in handmade soap production, Arabic calligraphy, food preparation for the kitchen, and public service roles.
In traditional Islamic culture, women are expected to stay at home to care for their husbands and children, and managing the household is regarded as their responsibility. Although Jordanian law guarantees equal rights, discrimination against women is not difficult to find — reflected in unequal access to social welfare and in the violence inflicted upon women.
In an effort to improve women’s rights and status, the Jordanian government partnered with social organizations, and approximately 12 years ago many institutions began implementing women’s empowerment programs, providing women with opportunities to work. This not only gave women who had long been confined to domestic roles a new direction in life, but also helped alleviate the financial pressures on their families. Programs of this kind have significantly shifted society’s values regarding gender inequality.
Ferial Shawashre (فريال الشواشره) 33 years old. Her university major was English translation. She has been part of the RSCN program for approximately five years and currently works in both the soap workshop and the calligraphy arts workshop.
She explained that when she was graduating from university and looking for work, she discovered that RSCN was looking for someone with skills in both English and calligraphy arts. A few years later, due to adjustments in program funding, she also began participating in the handmade soap production work.
“In my village, people did not support women working. They believed I should stay home to look after my husband and family. But I was fortunate — my husband and family supported me, and I persevered. Working and learning alongside my colleagues here, participating in meetings and presenting our work to the public, I have also learned how to balance work and family at the same time.”
After women joined the program, the Jordanian government began providing professional training. Program participants commuted to Amman every day for training, then applied the new knowledge and skills they had gained broadly and effectively back at work. Adding their own creativity, they expanded what had originally been only 8 types of handmade soap into 25 varieties. The raw ingredients for these soaps are purchased from the local community and grown in their home villages, which in turn drives community empowerment.
“Handmade soap is where we began. In the future there will be many more different ideas, developed together with the community.”
Haia Taloni (هيى طيلوني), stirring the freshly cooked soap mixture, said: “Smell it — lovely, isn’t it? We tried adding daisies. Next time you come, I’ll let you smell the other soaps.” Haia laughed and spoke with joy.
Having majored in early childhood education at university, she joined RSCN to help ease the financial burden on her family, and has now been working there for 12 years — one of the original seven women who joined the women’s empowerment project from the very beginning.
In the middle of the interview, Ferial came in carrying tea she had brewed. Mutaz told me the tea was really delicious, and amid the laughter and cheerful noise, Haia added: “And my husband at the time was actually looking for a woman who was working — two incomes, to share the household expenses. We now have two daughters.”
“Beyond the financial side, through my work I found myself — and I have continued to develop my abilities. We learned how to make soap, and started developing different products. Look — the shelves right there are filled with what we’ve created!”
Since Jordan launched its women’s empowerment programs, the women who joined have had the support of their husbands or families. After more than ten years, public attitudes and traditional values have gradually shifted to accept that women need not only stay at home to care for their husbands and families — that going out to work can ease the family’s finances, and that women can find themselves in the process.
These women working at RSCN began with a bar of soap, traditional calligraphy art, and food — and from there expanded the use of community resources, bringing more imagination and possibilities to their hometown.
Intessar Zaitoon (أنصار زيتون), now 44 years old, is one of the core program members. Before joining RSCN, she was a gardener in her hometown; her husband worked in a government position. One day she happened to chat with an RSCN program worker, who asked her: “What do you do?” She replied: “I grow flowers in my hometown.” He then said: “We’re about to start a new project to improve water quality, and we’re also launching a women’s empowerment training program. Would you like to join our core team?” And just like that, Intessar joined RSCN’s soap workshop. After 12 years working at RSCN, she has helped build the soap workshop program and has continued developing new handmade soap products throughout all those years.
Randy Pausch wrote in The Last Lecture:
“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”
As times change, traditional social values gradually shift — and the women’s empowerment programs have become the key to scaling those walls.
Time flew by, and the conversation drew to a close. The women said to me: “Come back again! Come back to my hometown, and you’ll discover just how beautiful it is.”
Note 1: RSCN (The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature): http://www.rscn.org.jo/
