BEIRUT: 鈥淲hat, it鈥檚 been two weeks? Wait, three weeks? No!鈥� Lebanon and the Arab world鈥檚 first woman interior minister Raya Al-Hassan exclaimed as she recalled the sunny February Friday when she was sworn in at the Ministry of Interior in Beirut.

It should come as no surprise that the minister was in disbelief at the short time that has passed, a period in which she has shaken up the system by ordering the removal of traffic-hindering roadblocks across the capital as well as reigniting the civil marriage debate, drawing protests from the conservative religious community.

鈥淚 want to make the Ministry of Interior more people-centric, more inclined to address the concerns of the Lebanese population. There has been a schism that has formed between the Lebanese and their public institutions, and that has developed into a kind of mistrust that has grown with time,鈥� Al-Hassan told Arab News.

鈥淚 want to restore this trust, and in order to restore this trust, you have to be closer to the people and listen to their concerns and try to address the issues that are closest to their hearts,鈥� she said.

Al-Hassan was named as interior minister by Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri in January after nine months of political deadlock left the country teetering on the edge of political and economic crisis. 

Together with three other female ministers, it is the highest-ever representation of women in the 30-seat Lebanese Cabinet.

鈥淚 like to think I can act as a role model for women who are involved in the public sector and who aspire to also assume decision-making responsibilities in the public sector and who look at me as somebody who is not a traditional politician but has been able to assume such a responsibility,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here is always this sort of subliminal message that, as a woman, this is going to be even harder for me than a man, and I don鈥檛 think this should be the case. It鈥檚 hard, it鈥檚 a challenge but it鈥檚 the same for men as it is for women,鈥� she added.

Headlines around the world broke the news of Al-Hassan鈥檚 appointment as the first female minister of interior, a role that has been dominated by men across the region.

Al-Hassan is already used to breaking the mold in a 鈥渂oys鈥� club鈥� job as she was the first woman to be selected as minister of finance in 2009.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 that I parachuted and fell into the minister of interior position, but I moved progressively,鈥� she said.

After graduating from George Washington University with an MA in business administration, Al-Hassan started at the Ministry of Finance in 1992 working under Finance Minister Fouad Siniora, then moved to the prime minister鈥檚 office, where she worked on reform agendas and economic reform conferences such as Paris II and Paris III before she became the minister of finance.

In her new role, the minister laid down the groundwork needed to preserve freedom of speech, as well as making use of the opportunity to advocate for women鈥檚 rights issues.

鈥淪itting in the Ministry of Interior, there are a lot of files that concern women, whether it鈥檚 the right of citizenship for children of Lebanese mothers, domestic abuse violations or other rights that are awarded to women in the personal status laws,鈥� she said.

While progress for equal opportunity for women in the region is slow, Al-Hassan is confident that objectives are being reached and more doors are being opened.

鈥淚 think if we look at the Arab world, there has been, in the last five years, good developments that also bode well for future participation of women, whether in the job market or the public sector,鈥� she said.

Al-Hassan stressed the need to address all of these through reforms, saying that this can only be done 鈥渂y opening up, diversifying economies, modernizing economies.鈥�

Apart from having a full-time job in one of Lebanon鈥檚 top positions, Al-Hassan is a mother to three daughters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult. When I address women, I always say, 鈥榙on鈥檛 let anybody kid you that this is easy.鈥� Frankly, it鈥檚 not easy. As a mother, you always experience guilt that you鈥檙e not doing enough, that you鈥檙e not spending enough quality time, that maybe you鈥檙e not around when they need you, and that is difficult.

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 something that every hard-working mother has to learn how to deal with,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here is always this guilt element, but you can fall back on a good support system, so we鈥檙e lucky in the Arab world in that sense that we have a good support system, whether it鈥檚 family, whether it鈥檚 parents, whether it鈥檚 friends, even. We鈥檙e lucky and wherever I鈥檓 missing, I think through the love of other members of the family I hope I can at least try to fill some of that (absence).鈥� 

When she鈥檚 not busy catching up on security files or taking care of her children, Al-Hassan likes to enjoy a big pot of meat-stuffed vine leaves, a delicacy from her native Tripoli.

鈥淭his is something that reminds me of my childhood, of the family gatherings. I am developing a taste for tabikh (home cooking),鈥� she said, joking that 鈥淚 used to eat fast food and stuff like that, but now I like hefty stews, Lebanese rice and vegetables, because I think this is more digestible with time.鈥�

Finding a life balance is already difficult, but Al-Hassan is confident that as soon as she gets used to a routine, she will jump into healthy eating and a 20-minute daily workout.

鈥淚f I have to do my job well, I have to take care of myself physically,鈥� she said.