Women in Palestine

Arab Women's Association, Jerusalem, (fr), 1929

There was a shift in that social order in 1844 when women first participated alongside men in protesting against the first Jewish settlements near the town of Afulah. Between 1900 and 1910, as the region of Palestine (which included what is now Jordan) was under Ottoman rule, Arab women initiated the creation of numerous associations and societies. These organizations were formed mostly in the larger cities, and especially in cities with large Christian populations such as Jaffa, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Acre.[6] In 1917, they took part in large demonstrations at the time of the Balfour Declaration, and later formed a 14-member delegation that demanded that the Balfour Declaration be revoked and that Jewish immigration to Palestine be halted. In 1921, Palestinian women organized by setting up their own society known as the Arab Women's Association, (fr) based in Jerusalem. The society organized demonstrations against the Palestinian Jewish settlements. Due to the lack of funding and the social and political pressure which was put on the women of the Arab Women's Association, the group ceased to exist after two years. Women formed a 'rescue committee' to collect donations in order to revive it. In the 1929 Palestine riots, women took part in multiple protests and demonstrations which resulted in women being killed by the British Mandate forces. They organized a Women's Conference, where they sent out a protest letter to King George V and to the League of Nations.

Following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the participation of Palestinian women in opposition was almost non-existent due to a strict social order in society at the time. The displacement and loss of land for the Palestinians created an economic issue. This created a demand for women in the workforce despite the social restrictions.[7]

Following the establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964, helped create the sect known as the Palestinian Women’s Association, which allowed women to take part in the first session of the Palestinian National Council that was held in Jerusalem.

The Israeli–Palestinian conflict has seriously affected the Palestinian women. Hundreds of thousands of women were banished and displaced from their homelands after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and more during the 1967 War such as poet May Sayegh. The majority of them and their descendants are still refugees. Many measures taken by the Israel Defense Force (IDF) have affected the Palestinian women's physical, psychological, health, education, economic security.[8] A press release issued by the Ma'an News Agency in 2007 reported that many women suffered psychological and sexual violence at the Israeli checkpoint in Beit Safafa. These cases reported forced strip searches under the pretext of security measures.[9]

In November 2019, the PA government raised the minimum marriage age to 18 for both genders in an effort to reduce rates of early marriage. Previously, the minimum age for marriage in the West Bank was 15 for females and 16 for males, while in the Gaza Strip it was 17 for females and 18 for males. Judges had the power to approve an earlier marriage. According to statistics, 37% of married Palestinian females married when they were under the age of 18, including 5% who married before the age of 15. 63% of young married women suffer violence at the hands of their husband, and 95% would not recommend early marriage for their daughters. Child marriage is thought to contribute to the high rate of divorce in the Palestinian territories, where 67% of women who divorced in 2018 were aged 18 to 29.[10]

Divorce rights for women depend on the personal status laws that apply to Muslims, which state that a man can divorce his wife for any reason, while women can request divorce only under certain circumstances. If a woman proceeds to a divorce she does not need to present any evidence, but would give up any financial rights and must return her dowry. The Ministry of Women's Affairs in Palestine, established in 2003, is the main governmental agency responsible for promoting and protecting women's rights. Government ministries promote reform of discriminatory laws and gender units have been established in each ministry.[11]

In March 2018, the PA repealed its marry-your-rapist law, a provision that allowed an accused rapist to evade punishment by marrying his victim.[12] However, because the Gaza Strip is de facto controlled by Hamas, the Egyptian-derived marry-your-rapist law still applies there.[12]

Since the mid-1970s, families have been moving towards educating their daughters highly and enrolling them in universities rather than just getting a high school diploma. The reason for this change is that women are becoming needed in the labor market, changing the economic situation in the West Bank. The idea that an educated girl is desirable for marriage is firmly established. Finally, the girl is able to afford her expenses and the expenses of her family in the event of her marriage.

• Palestine women's national football team
• General Union of Palestinian Women
• Palestinian costumes
• Islamic marital practices