In this article entitled, Where Have All the Women (and Men) Gone?
Reflections on Gender and the Second Palestinian Intifada, the authors
ground their reflections on gender and the complex realities of the second
Palestinian intifada against Israeli occupation in the political processes. The
two also explore three linked crises in gender roles emerging from the
conditions of the second intifada: a crisis in paternity, a crisis in
masculinity, and a crisis in maternity. One of the points Penny Johnson and Eileen
Kuttab make in regards to the crisis of maternity is on page 37 where they
claim “In both intifadas, informal women’s activism has taken the form of an
extension of women’s roles, particularly ‘mother activism’, most visible in the
first intifada when older women sheltered youth and defied soldiers” (Johnson
and Kuttab, 37).
Throughout
the second intifada, we witnessed women’s activism extending WAY further than
“maternal protection”. Contrary to contemporary media’s representation of the
duties of these women, the issues they faced are far more agonizing than simply
“blessing their sons’ martyrdom” (Johnson and Kuttab, 37). These women were
forced to deal with the practices and consequences of the Israeli occupation in
Palestine, and thus reacted in such ways that appeared to be maternal in
nature. It infuriates me that so much work was done by Palestinian women in
order to counter allegations that they are the ones sending their children to
die at a variety of checkpoints.
These women wanted nothing more
than to protect their children from the violence imposed by Israeli soldiers,
and I truly think that if these women didn’t have to put their energy towards
this, they would be able to participate other anti-occupation efforts. Instead,
these women were forced to act off their maternal instincts and work towards
preventing children from participation at the checkpoints and deep racism
towards Palestinian women through organizing and letter-writing meetings and
press conferences. Not to say that the work these women were doing did not
matter…their efforts were vital efforts in public demonstration and proved that
the community was in desperate need of political and communal expression.
After reading this piece by Johnson
and Kuttab, I wanted to find a news article regarding Palestinian women’s
activism during both the First and Second Intifada. Almost immediately I came
across a piece on Aljazeera.com describing three generations of women who have
been proudly and strongly fighting Israeli resistance across both Intifadas.
Through protecting their homes, protesting in the street, using their homes as
refugee camps, and most importantly, providing emotional support to neighbors,
family members, and friend who lost someone close to them in the fight against
Israel. Not only are these women conducting both emotional, “maternal” labor,
but they are also initiating majority of their community’s protests, meetings,
and financial plans, just as Johnson and Kuttab explained in Where Have All the Women (and Men) Gone?
Reflections on Gender and the Second Palestinian Intifada.
Question: As a woman, I
can sit here and appreciate the efforts done by Palestinian women to protect
themselves and their loved ones…do you think the men are able to appreciate and
accredit these women for being influential activists during the Intifada?
I think that it is great that you chose to talk about the mother's activism. I particularly found it interesting that the media portrayed the situation differently. The media made it seem as though women were blessing the death of their son. In reality, as you mentioned, the women were being forced to act of maternal instincts. And they wanted to protect their sons from the unfortunate acts of violence.
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