Exposing the struggles of Palestinian women

A new book by University of East London senior lecturer Dr Afaf Jabiri sheds light on the unique challenges faced by Palestinian women from Syria who were displaced to Jordan – and how a spirit of ingenuity and resilience has arisen in response.

Drawing on years of research in Palestinian refugee camps, Palestinian Refugee Women from Syria to Jordan: Decolonizing the Geopolitics of Displacement, provides a perspective on the severe discrimination experienced by these women at a time when the plight of the Palestinian people dominates the headlines once again.

The book argues for a feminist analysis of the impact of settler colonialism, aiming to expose the history and geopolitics of intersecting oppressive systems affecting Palestinian refugee women in humanitarian settings.  

Dr Jabiri's motivation for the research stems from her experience as an advisor for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in 2014. During a workshop with Palestinian humanitarian workers from Syria, she encountered the unequal treatment faced by Palestinian refugees in the country, sparking a deeper inquiry into the reasons behind the discrimination.

She spoke to dozens of families, with a particular focus on female family members to understand their lives and she advocated successfully for the closure of the grim Cyber City holding centre for refugees in Jordan.

In the shadow of the current conflict, Dr Jabiri, a co-director of UEL’s Centre for Social Change and Justice, reflects on the psychological “survival mechanisms” of the Palestinian people and how they connect their personal strife with the wider struggle.  

Dr Jabiri, who was a Palestinian refugee herself, said, 

This is how Palestinians usually try to minimise the suffering - by refusing to attribute it to something personal, but by tying their struggle to the collective issue of Palestine and the 1948 Nakba.

“Saying the very personal is political provides empowerment and a determination to continue. This is what we see right now in Gaza. Regardless of how much suffering these people face, they will continue to endure because that is part of who they are as Palestinians.  

“This is not about Palestinian nationalism, that’s a narrow defining sense, this is about relating to a just cause. They don't see it as a burden, they see it as a duty, something in which to believe. The moment there is a solution for Palestine, there will be a solution to personal suffering as well.”

A significant aspect of the research focuses on the impact of gender discrimination on Palestinian refugee women. By examining the structural issues faced by women, Dr Jabiri explores the concept of "masculinist restoration" – a technique through which women, who have more freedom, navigate a discriminatory environment and how they empower their husbands in order to maintain their sense of self-worth.

The book concludes by calling for a decolonisation of feminism and a deeper examination of the colonial aspects of humanitarian practices, particularly in the context of Palestine.

Palestinian Refugee Women from Syria to Jordan: Decolonizing the Geopolitics of Displacement: Dr Afaf Jabiri published by I.B. Tauris (available at bloomsbury.com) 

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