ABSTRACT
This book shows that a fuller understanding of activism is gender-sensitive and looks beyond what is most visible and direct. In doing so, it contributes an understanding of Palestinian women’s relationship to resistance by foregrounding their testimonies. Deep disillusionment with collective Palestinian politics and civil society has alienated women from activism and traditional avenues of engagement. This state of alienation has been consolidated by the direct and structural violence of occupation, which has added to women’s burden of responsibility in the household and lowered their overall wellbeing and position in society. This set of accumulating constraints therefore presents a complex matrix of risks involved in participation in resistance activities, making women’s choices altogether more fraught. Risk considerations are not limited to physical risks, but also social risks. While women and girls contend with high levels of scrutiny in Palestinian society generally, this is magnified for women and girls who participate in direct, public, and collective forms of resistance. Given that such activities are already viewed with suspicion, this suspicion also attaches itself to the ‘moral’ characters of the women involved. Women are therefore extremely careful when making decisions about where to dedicate their energies. Far from apathy, women demonstrate caution and selectivity when choosing forms of participation and in searching for or constructing alternative resistance frameworks. This concluding chapter emphasises the significance of these findings and discusses their implications for women’s involvement in Palestinian resistance and further afield.
