Date of Award

6-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Social Sciences

Department

Social Sciences

First Reader/Committee Chair

Grisham, Kevin

Abstract

The development and struggle for nationalism in Palestine, as seen through an historical lens of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, demonstrates the complexity of gendered spaces and narratives inherent in any conflict. Women’s roles have often been confined to specific, gendered spaces within their society. However, through the utilization of these roles, women are circumnavigating the gendered spaces of their society in order to effectively alter the political and social systems of Palestine. Through a discussion of two specific women’s organizations – the Jerusalem Center for Women (JCW) and the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) – this work will demonstrate the significance of Palestinian women’s agency in shaping the political and social atmosphere in Palestine. These two organizations focus on achieving women’s rights, utilizing feminist ideology and terminology, but to varying degrees and affect. Although feminism is not explicitly proposed by each organization, the work of each nonetheless addresses the inequalities of the state in order to afford women an equal standing within the society and the eventually, fully recognized State of Palestine. These organizations clearly demonstrate the ability of women in Palestine to act upon their own intentions, desires, and motivations, through the maximization of the gendered spaces, in order to achieve gender, political, social, and national change.

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