Where is the Palestinian Feminist Movement heading?!

The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development has organized an open-panel, on the role of the feminist movement in mobilizing women’s political participation, reality and horizons.

The event that took place in the PWWSD’s office in Nablus, aimed to promote women’s involvement in the political life, and access to a free democratic society that is based on gender equality and social justice. In addition, the discussion shed light on the feminist movement’s roles and action towards mobilizing and strengthening women’s political engagement in the public sphere, especially in politics.

Four effective feminist activists in the civil society and the feminist movement took the lead to introduce the audience to their role in advocating women’s issues. In the beginning, the coordinator for the women’s empowerment program at the PWWSD, Mrs. Samar Hawash greeted the attendees, and introduced the purpose of the meeting. Followed by lawyer Lina Abdelhadi the moderator for the session who asked four questions regarding women’s political participation, the identity of the feminist movement, the features of the current cultural and social transitional period, the role of women in the PLC and during the division and the of civil peace periods, the political law and the role of the Women’s Union in forming women’s identity.

On her part, the general director of the PWWSD, Mrs. Amal Khreishe, said that the problem lies in the vagueness and deformation of the Palestinian feminist identity, as the focus has always been on the political struggle, neglecting at the same time the economic structure and its effects and implications on women.  She also questioned any genuine political will among the economic annexation, and the impoverishment policies, the exclusionary measures taken against women, and the rise of the tribal familial domination.

Zahira Kamal, the director of women’s centre for research and documentation, and the secretary of Feda, explored the previous and current political conditions in Palestine, and how the political struggle was prioritized on the account of the social struggle, as men’s political roles were perceived as an extension to the typical familial roles. Ms. Kamal also spoke about the feminist movement’s role in the political reformations, in combating corruption, and the feminist movement’s failure to link women’s rights with the public right, and to take firm and clear positions towards the suspension of the elections and many other national issues.

Dr. Sahar Qawasmeh, the member of the PLC, talked about the dominating social stereotypes, stressing that the feminist movement has to take an effective role in national issues.

Morover, Rima Nazzal talked about the features of the feminist movement and its attachment to the Palestinian society; the characteristics of the political system and the position of women within this system. Nazzal, added that women’s issues are controversial, as she stressed the importance to use appropriate feminist mechanisms to engage women in the decision-making process, and also the importance to have a feminist reading and opinion on the national causes and issues.

In the end of the meeting, participants stressed the need to have clear political and literary references for the feminist movement and to crystallize a mature identity, in addition to engaging the young generation in the process and to try to insert progressive and democratic concepts in the Palestinian curriculum. The main recommendations reached at were the following: the feminist movement has to review its cultural identity and to select its cultural and literary references; there is a need to develop work strategies in order to reactivate the feminist popular base, to mobilize for a larger women’s participation in politics.