Womens Role In The Women's Rights Movement

As of 2003, in the West Bank alone, there were about 38 officially registered women’s charitable organizations. These organizations included a wide variety of services such as child care, health and literacy programs, and self-reliance and vocational training programs. As the realization of the importance of women’s positions in the national struggle grew, several women’s committees were established in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The first was the Women’s Work Committee set up in Ramallah in 1978. This organization as created by a group of highly educated and politically motivated women. Its aim was to reach a large number of women and to mobilize them to join women’s and national movements. In 1982 the Palestine Women 's Committee and the …show more content…
It is apparent that women have contributed immensely to the Palestinian cause and it may seem that they obtain equal status with their male counterparts, however, as in every society that is not the case. The patriarchy that dominates the religious and social sphere also dominates the political sphere. Generally, the role of women in the movement is to support the male freedom fighters. In order to not disrupt the power dynamics between men and women, women are encouraged to be involved in the movement, but not in the same aspects as men. They are told to be good housewives and mothers in order to create strong husbands and sons to fight for Palestine. The participation of women in even the most radical extents, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of …show more content…
Educated women are encouraged to join the PFLP, however when they do they are given traditional “women’s work” such as working on women’s projects or providing domestic support for the male members. For women who attempt to defy the standards, there is certainly negative ridicule that will follow. Female members who interact with men are seen as “loose women”. Women often encounter backlash from men when they attempt to bring awareness about women’s issues, since women’s issues are perceived to be trivial. As a result, women either recede back to their secondary roles or they give up completely and end their political involvement in the movement. Non-participation of women in the national struggle is mainly due to these gender dynamic constraints. However, there are also social class restraints. The majority of women who have been involved in the movement have been women from educated middle and upper class socioeconomic statuses. Women’s involvement in political movements have not yet reached women living in refugee camps or women who are facing upheaval. The movement has certainly benefitted from this social class distinction because they have the majority of