Agencies: Tamam Abu Humaidan (34 years old) is the first Palestinian from Gaza to hold the position of Chairwoman of a Municipal Council in Sweden. She was born and lived in Gaza, Palestine, and studied journalism and media there. However, due to difficult circumstances and the unstable situation in the Gaza Strip, she emigrated with her family to Sweden at the beginning of 2014. Upon her arrival, she applied for asylum and settled in Blekinge County in the south of the country.

Things are often difficult at the beginning, as the waiting period for residency permits, learning the language, and integrating into society require time. But this was not the case for Tamam Abu Humaidan; she got a job at a pizza restaurant a week after arriving in Sweden, thanks to her personal effort and pursuit to obtain it.

During her interview with Al Jazeera Net, she said, "Obtaining residency in Sweden for a Palestinian from Gaza is difficult and takes months, perhaps years, which makes things hard at the start. But I worked very hard to get a job, and after several attempts, I got a contract at a pizza restaurant because it did not require language skills and the owner spoke Arabic, and after I proved to him my ability to master the work."

This helped Abu Humaidan get her residency in Sweden faster than usual, as she received it about two months after her arrival, several months before the rest of her family.

She then obtained a position teaching Swedish to adults, and Abu Humaidan did not limit herself to the school curriculum; she studied additionally and worked hard to learn the language, which enabled her to finish her studies quickly.

During the interview, Abu Humaidan emphasized the necessity of learning the language as it is the key to entering society. After learning the language and completing its stages, she applied for work in several fields. It was not easy; after several attempts, she got a job as a guide helping newcomers enter the labor market, and later at the employment office in Blekinge County in 2016.

Abu Humaidan says, "Getting this job gave me motivation, and things began to change for the better, which gave me strength to continue and strive to achieve more goals."

Abu Humaidan did not stop there; she obtained a Master's degree in management and institutional development from Malmö University in Sweden alongside her job at the employment office, which increased her chances of getting a better job. In 2018, she got a job in the elder services sector as a department head at the Karlshamn municipality in southern Sweden.

Political Participation

Abu Humaidan joined the Social Democratic Party (the largest party in Sweden) in the municipality of Olofström since her early days in Sweden. Initially, her participation was limited to party meetings.

In the 2018 elections, she was nominated for the county council elections in Blekinge, ranking 15th on the party list. After the results were announced, she held several positions alongside her professional work, serving as an alternate member on the education committee in the municipal council and as a member of the county council.

In her interview with Al Jazeera Net, Abu Humaidan said, "Politics for me is enjoyable, and I love working in it more than my love for other sectors. My passion, dedication to work, and success in the tasks assigned to me earned me the trust of the party and its members in the municipality and county."

After the 2018 elections, Abu Humaidan served as vice-chair of the education committee in the municipal council and contributed to adopting many measures and decisions that helped improve education in the municipality and adult education for foreigners.

She also held the position of vice-chair of the municipal council. When the chairperson's position became vacant, she was nominated to lead the council in the city of Olofström, where she was approved unanimously by the party.

Abu Humaidan says that Sweden is a land of opportunities, and one must work hard to reach their goals and fulfill their ambitions.

Tamam Abu Humaidan is seeking to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in next September (Al Jazeera)

Abu Humaidan aims to participate in the upcoming elections scheduled for next September, and she was nominated to participate in the parliament. She received the number one position on the list at the municipal level and number five at the county level.

Abu Humaidan believes that everyone should participate in the political process, and there must be people representing us as Swedes of foreign immigrant origins.

The municipality of Olofström has about 13,000 inhabitants, and it is governed by the Social Democratic Party in cooperation with the Left Party and the Christian Democratic Party.

The municipal council is the highest decision-making body in the municipality, representing the residents and the entity that makes decisions on the municipality's most important issues.

The council decides on municipal affairs, activities, and finances, which includes making decisions on the budget, tax rate, and service fees. It also decides on the organization of the administration and its working methods.

The council also elects members and deputies of municipal councils and committees and auditors who review the municipality's accounts. It also decides on the municipal board representing the executive authority in the municipality.