- Title: Sisters serve up a first for women in Iraqi Kurdistan
- Date: 18th April 2017
- Summary: SULAIMANIYA, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF RESTAURANT SIGN READING (Kurdish): 'CHESHTXANAY SE XOSHKAN' (THREE SISTERS RESTAURANT) WOMEN OWNERS OF RESTAURANT PUTTING FOOD ON TRAYS WOMAN SERVING VEGETABLES ONTO PLATE WOMAN SERVING SOUP INTO BOWL MEN QUEUING TO GET FOOD AT SERVING HATCH WOMAN PASSING TRAY OF FOOD THROUGH SERVING HATCH WOMAN SMILING AS SHE PRESENTS TRAY AT SERVING HATCH/CUSTOMER COLLECTING FOOD MAN EATING MEAL AT RESTAURANT TABLE WOMAN SERVING TRAY OF FOOD TO MAN THROUGH SERVING HATCH (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) RESTAURANT CO-FOUNDER, SIRAN RAOUF OBEID, SAYING: ''Because of the difficult economic situation in the Kurdistan region, we quit our government jobs as civil servants and opened this restaurant. We offer about twenty kinds of eastern food. Our customers are men, women and youths. No one has complained about our food. All our customers thank us.'' THREE MEN EATING LUNCH FOOD ON TABLE FAMILY EATING LUNCH CUSTOMER, MOHAMMED KARIM, WAITING AT SERVING HATCH TO TAKE HIS FOOD WOMEN CHATTING TO HIM THROUGH SERVING HATCH WOMAN SERVING SOUP INTO BOWL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CUSTOMER, MOHAMMED KARIM, SAYING: "I really encourage them to continue with their job. Their food is really delicious and clean. The prices are right, neither expensive nor cheap. I am very proud of them. There is no difference between men and women. They should work side by side with men. I am proud of them." WOMAN STIRRING PAN OF FOOD IN THE KITCHEN RICE IN PAN WOMAN PLACING CUTLERY IN POT (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) RESTAURANT CO-FOUNDER, AWAZ HASSAN, SAYING: "I like my job very much. I encourage all housewives to open any businesses they want. I encourage them to do so. There is no difference between men and women. Don't be shy, come, let's work side by side with men just like in foreign countries. Life has become too difficult. We have received so many calls from women wishing to work, but our restaurant is small, we cannot take them on. We are unable to open another restaurant. Some of our customers come to us from outside the city. We offer 20 to 30 kinds of eastern meals a day." WOMEN CLEANING UP KITCHEN MEN EATING AT TABLE PEOPLE HAVING LUNCH AT RESTAURANT MAN PAYING FOR HIS FOOD THROUGH SERVING HATCH FAMILY ENTERING RESTAURANT
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 10:57
- Keywords: women restaurant. Kurds economy food Iraq
- Location: SULAIMANIYA, IRAQ
- City: SULAIMANIYA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Living/Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016CXEB11
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Three sisters are doing it for themselves in Iraqi Kurdistan, setting up what they say is the first all-woman-owned and run restaurant in the region.
Offering a choice of more than 20 home-cooked meals a day, they do a rapid lunchtime trade, with customers queuing up at the hatch to get hot food direct from the kitchen.
It is quite a change from the office jobs the sisters used to have.
They quit their posts at the Ministry of Tourism when their salaries were cut as Kurdish authorities struggle to cope with an acute financial crisis.
For the last two months they have been serving hot food, takeaways and sandwiches at their "Three Sisters" restaurant in the city of Sulaimaniya.
"Because of the difficult economic situation in the Kurdistan region, we quit our government jobs as civil servants and opened this restaurant," said co-founder, 33-year-old Siran Raouf Obeid.
"No one has complained about our food. All our customers thank us."
Among the varied clientele of men, women and children is Mohammed Karim, 63, who says he admires the women for their entrepreneurship.
"Their food is really delicious and clean. The prices are right, neither expensive nor cheap. I am very proud of them," he said. ''I really encourage them to continue."
The sisters hope they have opened a pathway for other women to follow.
"I encourage all housewives to open any businesses they want," co-founder Awaz Hassan said.
"Don't be shy. Come, let's work side by side with men just like in foreign countries."
There are no vacancies at the "Thee Sisters", however, and the owners have turned down many people wanting to work there.
The restaurant serves some 100 customers each day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., with meals priced from 3,000 to 10,000 Iraqi dinars ($2.5 to $8). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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