Field study: On woman's role and heritage
Syria-Regional, Culture, 7/2/2003

Rural community development project at Jabal al-Hoss, in the rural area of Aleppo, Syria, implemented a socio- economic survey to understand the background to which the participatory development process should be based on.

A field study was implemented focusing on the gender concept among the community of Jabal al-Hoss, regarding women having their right in heritage. The study aims to deepen the key role which the project is due to play to initiate a constructive dialogue with common people.

In its general context, the study showed a social disadvantage, which was crystal clear in the difference between the role both sexes play in developmental operations and in their social status.

The study, however, reveals the inferior look to the role played by women in society and diminishing their share in multifaceted social and economic domains. It was also clear from the study that women are not given choices of financial empowerment, in addition to being undermined in managing these choices, when available.

The study showed that undermining women, depriving them from their heritage and considering them, in many cases, times and societies, a part of the heritage, is a matter of long history for many nations. However, Islam, gave women the right to inherit "man have a share in what the parents and relatives leave, and women have a share." But the misunderstanding for women rights and remarkable role in the Islamic culture, which resulted from extraneous concepts and fanatical thoughts, caused their social disadvantage, apparent in some communities, one of which is Jabal al-Hoss area.

The study which was conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian reform aims at showing the gender structure of the area of Jabal al-Hoss, and community' s attitude towards it.

The study covered 259 persons distributed between 125 husbands and 134 wives. The sample's fraction was 1.1 %, the unit of the sample was one of the couple; 85% of the persons aged between 15 and 50 year old; and 6% of them have high school certificate.

The data was analyzed on three levels: rural woman, household and rural community.

At the social level of depriving women from their heritage, the study revealed that the rural model is prevailing. This model encourages the internal marriage in order to preserve wealth. In 74% of marriage cases, the couples were relatives. According to prevailing social traditions in the area the husband is responsible for spending and meeting the family's needs. 70% of the sample believes so, while 90% consider women responsible only for the house works and that determines the expenditures.

As for the level of gender structure of property, the study showed that the rural community in Jabal al-Hoss promotes the gender roles between males and females, in respect of property. 91% of the sample had a male - owned house, against 1.2% who had a female - owned house. 5% of the women inherit farm land.

The study showed that women have to work in the land, but are not permitted to own it ( 1.2% own land ), but owning transport means and agriculture wells is completely not permitted, while owning cattle percentage is 3.4%, while inheriting jewels and money is wider ( 25% for the first, 7.7% for the latter.).

As for the relationship between women working and possessing, the study showed that women work in the house or in the village is popular. A woman is not considered a worker if she does not work outside her village. In this case (when she is a worker) she does not given the the right to choose where to spend the money but has to get the father or the husband agreement if she is married in order to spend it. 37% of the sample imposes certain restrictions over woman's freedom to spend her own income.

As for women's success to fund through inheritance, the study showed that 60% of the persons who participated in the opinion poll said women do not have the right to inherit.

It was found out from the study that customs and traditions formed 73% of the reasons to deprive women from their right to inherit. Male domination formed 3.8% of the reasons to deprive women from their right to inherit; and women cession, which formed 2.5% of the reasons to deprive women from their right to inherit.

Concerning the community's attitude towards depriving women from their right to inherit, the field study showed that women's claim for their right to inherit is socially rejected, according to 61.3% of the sample, which considered it a kind of social clash that does not fit women and 44% of the sample thought that women must cede their right to inherit.

The study showed a contradiction in the opinions of the studied sample, 91.5% is in favor of applying the law of Islam related to women heritage, while 92% support depriving women from their right to inherit.

In its ultimate end, the study showed the opinions of the studied sample about what they think the best way is for claiming a woman's right to inherit, and what must be done concerning the present situation in this regard. It found that: 42% of the sample thinks that the solution is conditioned by praying to God; 46% of the sample thinks that the solution is related to low court; 5% of the sample thinks that the solution is related to entrusting the matter to her husband, or persons in charge, and 2.7% of the sample thinks that the solution is related to claiming her rights personally.

Moreover the accessed results of the study say that there is a large difference between the required role of women and their social position. In order to enable women to actively participate in the development process, they must learn and be aware of their rights, and how to improve their living conditions.

The community and men must be aware of the importance of participating in changing the ancient perceptions of women's role and their rights, through a complete and comprehensive process to liberate women socially and gradually so as to be man's equal and on- foot partner in developmental operations of the society.

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