Young Palestinian lady opens women-only restaurant in remote village in West Bank

A young Palestinian woman from the remote village of Biddya, located between Salfit and Qalqilya in the north of the West Bank, has established her first restaurant and it is for women only.

Riham Taha, a mother of two in her 20s, told Xinhua that she came up with the idea when she watched a similar story that took place in a village in Egypt. 

"Traditions in our village limit the movements of women, so even if they would like to go to a restaurant or any other public place, they would need permission," the young woman said. This is the reason why she decided to take matters into her own hands.

In the beginning, she had to get permission from her husband.

"It was not easy for me, especially as it would be a controversial project in our village," the young woman explained.  

Eventually, she managed to convince her husband and opened her own place that she named Attaba, in Arabic a type of popular folk lyric poetry that has a prominent place in Palestinian folk singing.

The restaurant opened its doors to the public a month ago. Since then, she has been waking up very early, racing against time to prepare food for her customers. Taha's customers are not limited to the women of her town. Many from other villages come to enjoy fast food and traditional Palestinian dishes.

Red dominates the decor and the furniture of the restaurant, which has an area of more than 200 square meters and opens 12 hours a day. 

"It gives more freedom and entertainment to women. It aims at letting them feel like urban women, and allows them to come here with their kids," she said. 

Taha's restaurant is distinguished by its reasonable prices and it caters to all customers.

"The meals and service inside the restaurant are suitable for all segments of Palestinian society and are admired by everyone," she said, adding that the most expensive meal does not exceed $10.

The young woman aspires to expand her project further and provide opportunities for dozens of unemployed young Palestinian women amid the difficult conditions caused by high unemployment rates, especially among graduates. Usually, the restaurant relies on two female employees who help Taha prepare Arabic and Western sweets, but now she thinks of hiring more as the place's popularity continues to grow.

The restaurant allocates a small area to a playground, where children can spend their time as their mothers are eating or chatting. Fridays are for families only, while the rest are dedicated to women and children. 

Rasha al-Aqraa, one of Taha's customers from Biddya village, told Xinhua that opening a restaurant for women is a great idea. While reading the menu, al-Aqraa said the meals are presented appropriately and fully meet the tastes of children and mothers.

"This is evident that those in charge of the place want it to succeed."

She explained that the prices of meals served inside the restaurant are affordable, adding the place provides a space of freedom for women where they can feel comfortable.

Maram Daas met with her friends and relatives in another corner of the restaurant for lunch. She said that the restaurant and the services inside it were "distinguishing" as young Palestinian women run it. 

Daas, who put her children in the games room, added that the presence of a place designated for children has made the restaurant more popular, and the general atmosphere is a psychological comfort for women.