Introduction

Palestine has once again gained prominence since the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict in 2023. It's been discussed a lot how men are typically depicted at the front lines of war and on battlefields, women frequently hold a dominant position in society and culture. Sometimes overlooked, though, is the possibility that conflicts could also empower women. Women's ability to act in peace and conflict has garnered attention from policymakers since the UN Security Council Resolution was drafted in 2000. Over this time, there has been a notable increase in scholarly curiosity about this query even with respect to the Israel-Palestine conflict (Baxter, 2007; Abu-Rabia-Queder and Weiner-Levy, 2013; Khodary and Salah, 2020). According to Yadav (2021), women are now viewed as conflict victims and change agents. I discuss Palestinian women's agency in this essay by looking at how they support their families, commit violent crimes, and engage in non-family activities.

Women as breadwinners for their families

Prior to the Arab exodus from Palestine, women of Palestine were primarily restricted to the domestic sphere, where they built their own lives behind closed doors. They would take on the majority of the caregiving duties and control the household chores. In contrast, men predominated in the field of bread-winning. Even when women would go shopping occasionally, they would be dressed with a face veil, a jacket, and a cape. (Tolan, 2006, page 43)

This changed rapidly. Palestinians were stripped of everything they owned and their sense of identity when they fled their home countries during the conflict. Their families went hungry while they were banished. Palestinian women, however, would use their jewelery for food and wait in line for meagre rations at the food distribution centers to keep their families from going hungry (Tolan, 2006). They emerged from their old roles for their families' survival needs. Many women would go to work with their male counterparts; some would go and beg, while others would find employment in the neighboring villages. Women had to take jobs to support and provide for their families because of the unfavorable conditions there and insufficient family income to rebuild homes.

The struggles of women revealed an emancipatory meaning, with women stepping forward in support of their families and their veil being lifted during their time of crisis (Tolan,2006, p.158). It highlights the power Palestinian women acquired over making decisions and their sense of self. Women used their agency to advocate for their families as a result of the crisis.

Women as actors of violence

Women are frequently perceived as victims of violence during conflicts rather than as those who inflict it. It has been noted, nevertheless, that women have also participated in acts of violence. 

Leila Khaled, the "queen of freedom fighters" for the Palestinian people, is a prime example of how Palestinian women have acted as perpetrators of violence. Her identity was concealed through plastic surgery (Tolan, 2006, p. 263). She and her friend took over a TWA flight on August 29, 1969; they were detained in Syria for one and a half months before being freed. She participated in the hijacking of an Israeli El Al aircraft on September 6, 1970, and was held in Britain for a month after the pilot landed in London (IEPQ, n.d.).

The international media was captivated by Leila Khaled within hours, something that hundreds of other Palestinian fighters' lives and deaths have failed to achieve. In an instant, she broke numerous taboos, turned into an iconic symbol for her violent behavior, and altered the views of other angry young women across the globe (MacDonald, 1991, p. 7).

Similarly, other Palestinian women were leading every aspect of the Intifada in 1987. Women took over as the uprising gained momentum because the military had detained tens of thousands of men. That went beyond simply realizing that, with their men gone, no one else could accomplish it. After realizing their significance, the women were unwilling to be bystanders. Among the Shebab, the youth militia that fired missiles at the soldiers, young girls made up at least half (MacDonald, 1991, p. 72).

Women's Involvement in Political Discussions

Men have historically dominated the field of politics. It appears as though women are either uninterested in politics or that their views are frequently disregarded. As a result of this,  among Palestinian men as well, socializing and talking about politics at home had been a rare sight (Tolan, 2006, page 44). 

As Rita Manchanda (2005) claims, women are compelled by conflict situations to take on new, independent roles and demonstrate their decision-making abilities. This has ramifications for the equitable participation of women in peacekeeping, community management, reconstruction projects, etc. Following the refugee crisis in Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, where the Palestinians lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the conflict (UNRWA, 2023), Palestinian women began to participate in political discourses actively. They openly expressed their opinions on current events as a result of their rage against the elites and authorities in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Political remarks by the granddaughter of a Palestinian leader, Sheikh Mustafa, were regarded seriously by the locals. Samira Khairi asserted that King Abdullah had told her grandfather before he left al-Ramla that they would be allowed back. (Tolan, 2006, p. 147). Samira made this claim in relation to the betrayals of the British commander of the Arab Legion. They had both promised to keep the refugees safe in their correspondence. 

Though it is possible that women's active engagement in political discourse preceded their inclusion in politics, it paved the way for Palestinian women to move from the private to the public sphere despite all the conflict's negative aspects.

Conclusion

West Asian women are unable to take on the responsibility of resolution on their own due to the patriarchal nature of society, where men dominate decision-making. Women unintentionally gain autonomy, responsibility, and self-worth when patriarchal systems are toppled by war, just as in the case of Palestine, when women started to participate in the public sphere and came out of their domestic realm. The national patriarchy, however, expects returning to the way women were before the war or to their subordinate positions, so it appears that this gender liberation will not last long (Handrahan, 2004). Thus, the newly found agency among Palestinian women may turn out to be a temporary phenomenon.

Nonetheless, women's involvement in resolving and preventing conflicts can improve conditions before, during, and after the conflict. Women's participation has been found to increase the likelihood of a fifteen-year peace agreement by thirty-five per cent and a peace deal lasting at least two years by twenty per cent (Crespo-Sancho, 2018). So, a resolution to the ongoing crisis arises when women from both sides of the dispute gather around a table and engage in negotiation. However, will Palestinian women have this kind of agency anytime soon? Only time can tell.

Aadya Ananta is student pursuing a Masters in International Relations at South Asian University

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