Abstract
Since the start of the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, in October 2023, the UN estimates that over 70 percent of civilian casualties have been women and children. Women suffer violence both in war and peace and, in Gaza, women are especially vulnerable ‘due to family separation and the consequent loss of protection amidst the increasing presence of Israeli forces and widespread gender-based violence’. Even before the most recent hostilities, Palestinian women were subjected to forms of ideological control, with the intention of producing a ‘new Islamic woman’. But, since October 2023, conditions for women in Gaza have deteriorated drastically. There have been reports of ‘sexual assaults and violence against women and girls, including those detained by Israeli forces’. The paper asks why Palestinian women in Gaza tend to be represented primarily as victims, of Israeli invading forces and their own society. It argues that the reality is more complex. Despite desperate circumstances, women possess agency and are capable of acting on behalf of themselves and their children. The paper is based on fieldwork research conducted in the Palestinian Territories between 2000-2019, supported by a thorough review of the literature and recent events.
Presenters
Maria HoltEmeritus Fellow, Politics and International Relations, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Palestinian Women, Gaza Strip, Violent Conflict, Islam
