مارس 3, 2010
المرأة الفلسطينية … بعد الحرب العالمية الأولى ولغاية الانتفاضة الأولى / د.إصلاح جاد
- Title of the article : From Salons to the Popular Committees : Palestinian Women 1919-1989
The title shows the transition of the PW from invisible and marginal roles to visible and notable activities.
- Author / Resource: Dr. Islah Jad / Nassar and Heacock. Intifada: Palestine at the Crossroads. Praeger: New York. 1990.pp125-134
Before starting we should know that this article is ordered by the chronological order. This means that it follows time sequence.
It’s also full of information, arguments and concepts.
3 The Introduction : reviewing main ideas :
The author gives :
- A preface of the gradual change of the historical status of the Palestinian Women and their Roles in 1919-1989 ( during 1st world war until intifada )
She says that PW roles are spontaneous but organized. Although these 2 words are opposites but they reflect the nature of the emergence of PW roles and how it became organized lately.
- The author then reveals The main aims of the article at the end of the introductory which are to answer on the questions using historical context.
- Then she reviews the types of resources that she used : she depended on different recourses, studies, interviews , regular and irregular publications and her personal witnesses to specify events.
-Author also reviews the obstacles led to the dearth of serious writings on the PW which is reflected by the Israeli oppressive policies since 1967 in the area of the research.
- Thesis Statement: is embodied in the questions that are in 2nd paragraph
“The pictures of women and girls in the media, though representing only a small part of the intense role of women, have invited many questions. Is this role new to PW? What precise part are they playing in the Intifada? How do men and UNLU of the uprising regard women roles? Does the participation of women reflect a new stage in the history of women’s movement? Are the political role and the scarifies of women in the uprising going to improve women’s social status and their political role in the future? “ .
She wants to specify the factors that led to this small representing part of her role although PW participated in all Palestinian historical stages.
- The Emergence of The Palestinian National Movement and Women ‘s Work : ( at the late 19th century – 1914 –1948-1960’s )
- Analysis of the nature of the Palestinian society and its impact on women during the late 19th century until 1914 the years of the 1st world war.
She assumes that PW activities are Recent due to some social conditions that restricted her autonomous development.
She argues that P society in that stage was based on religion and some related attitudes, values and traditions that protested women from inheriting many personal rights.
I think that the misunderstanding of the core of religion is a result of the ambiguity and complexity between religion and reactionary traditions.
- Comparison between women‘s economic and social roles in Palestinian farming communities and in cities.
She says that women’s position in cities was much worse compared to women in rural areas .
She says that working with men in farming liberated them from wearing the veil.
In fact this is an irony . we used to see the opposite.
- The role of the governmental and western missionary schools in helping women to contact with the outside world and led to the establishment of the first Palestinian women associations that were limited to charitable services
.
- There was a start of Palestinian Women’s Movement after the 1st World War and status during the British Mandate and this emergence was due to : their struggle to end occupation and gain national freedom through the participation of upper class women in demonstrations, transporting weapons and food ext. . It is important to know that women in this stage were not involved in the existing political parties due to sex segregation.
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This movement developed and they were able to held Women’s national conferences in ( 1929-1930’s)
The focus of these conferences was on national issues, although some women took off their veils as a symbol of ending occupation. This attempt tries to express their struggle on the social level.
- The consequences of Nakbah and of the Jewish state establishment on women’s status. Due to killing, expelling, arresting Palestinians faced Poverty and they left land seeking for work and Women stayed with children in the camps waiting for help.
- The Emergence of the Palestinian charitable associations and the role of UNERWA helped in improving the miserable situation of women.
- PW position during the annexation of the West bank by Jordan and Gaza Strip by Egypt in 1950. Women had the same status in both areas.
There was a formation of the national movement in Jordan by men and women together.
- PW participated in a limited works in the political parties in the 1950’s. during this stage there was a gradual emergence : the female cadre was formed , some political parties were headed by women , more than 67 associations started working in most of Palestinian cities.
Unfortunately, most of them had only a political agenda.
- Then the GUPW was formed in 1950 S a result of Palestinian conference in 1984. It has also a political agenda in addition to some charitable services targeted women.
- Women and The PLO : ( 1960’s – 1980’s )
- PLO was formed , it wasn’t popular that time and lacked a clear program for women.
- The 1967 defeat affected the social economical status of Women . they entered the labor market and the armed resistance movements and participated in Palestinian Students Unions in 1975-76.
- Charitable Associations till this epoch could not touch or interact women issues and their activities remained sporadic.
- Ironically, some advantages that improved women issues were achieved in the late 1970’s. they were able to vote for the first time in the municipal elections and the number of educated women increased .
- The birth of a new women’s vanguard with the PNM in 1978 due to the escalation in repressive measures by the Israelis.
- The creation of Women’s Work Committee in 1978
- The partisan power in these Committees and Associations
- Led to The creation of :
a: the Union of Palestinian Working Women’s Committees in 1980
b: the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committee 1981
the Author criticizes the goals of these committees , that they became concerned in quantity rather than quality. The agenda in general does not deal with laws of women’s status or of the traditional reinforce of the patriarchal system.
- Palestinian Women and The Intifada :
- Women participation in national demonstrations on Dec.9.1987.
- The reflection of Intifada on the political role of PW : there was an evolution in the language that was used in this era , women were braised in most of national slogans. This reflects the importance of women’s political roles.
- International Women’s Day became an important day to most Women’s committees and entered their annual Agenda after Intifada
- W.O and Charitable Associations in 1988 worked together and manifesto The first leaflet and comprehensive program which had 2 main demands : setting up popular committees and engaging in home economy.
- The formation of the Higher Women’s Council in 1989 became to work on these recommendations.
- Home Economy :
- Many ppl argue on defining this concept and on the possibility of it’s ability to maintain roles or considering gender awareness of the labor.
- Home Economy Types. Internal and external
- Home Economy and gender-based divisions: the author argues that home economy helped in changing gender-based divisions since women started to make their autonomous work , but after intifada it hasn’t any more.
- Other questions:
She continues reviewing
- The gradual evolution in women images from 1960’s until now.
- conclusion:
- Gender Agenda and reality:
Author assumes that there has been no “ gender agenda “ for the women’s movement until now.
- Reveals the Risks that intercept the way of setting Gender Agenda
To postpone the setting of gender agenda until after the independence has been achieved,
The absence of social critique in NM .
The emergence of the Islamic forces and their impact on laws.
- More opened questions are raised by the author .
Author concludes that improving women status is depending on her awareness and on women vanguard and their relation with the masses of women.
