WOMEN AND RESISTANCE

"Palestinian women must continue their struggle for political and social rights, overcoming the obstacles that face them, the most serious of which is the occupation of their land"

Issam Abdul Hadi,
historical leader of the women's movement in Palestine

Women are a fundamental pillar on which sits the Palestinian society. In Palestine, women's movements have been linked to the struggle for national liberation. While the beginnings of these movements prevailed politically, they were soon aware that national liberation had to be accompanied by social liberation and democratization, and were gradually opening up space demands of social transformation: overcoming barriers of the traditional society, the equality and non discrimination.
However, in recent years, marked by the peace process failed and occupation, women have been relegated to suffer marginalization of public space policy, reluctance of the groups power and legalized discrimination.

Many women take the role of head of family because of death or arrest of the husband at the hands of the Israeli army and fall into poverty due to the limited job opportunities or because they simply have their land confiscated.

Women suffer the violence of the occupier. They die when giving birth in control points when Israeli soldiers prevent passing of the ambulanc, their health deteriorates due to malnutrition or lack of access to medicines because the Israeli authorities do not allow the transit of such medicines. Furthermore, the construction of the wall forces many women to walk severa miles to get from home to work or their fields.


More information:

Report "Women in public life and politics"

Posted in Gloobal and conducted by the Institute of Political Studies for Latin America and Africa
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (authorship; channel)