Birzeit symposium highlights experiences of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons

Faculty and staff members from Birzeit University’s Institute of Women’s Studies and Union of Instructors and Employees, along with activists from the “Halaqat Istiqbal” project, held a symposium on Saturday, October 23, to retell the stories and experiences of Palestinian women detained inside Israeli prisons and share the perspectives of their families and the testimonies of legal activists.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Rania Jawad, director of the Institute of Women’s Studies, stressed the importance of retelling and relaying the stories of Birzeit University’s students and academics who were targeted by the Israeli occupation and harassed and detained by its forces. The symposium, noted Jawad, reflects the institute’s mission to produce knowledge that takes the issues of the Palestinian community as both its starting point and ultimate goal. 

Dr. Lena Meari, secretary of the Union of Instructors and Employees and a professor of women’s studies and social sciences, said that the Israeli occupation’s decades-long policy of detaining Palestinians is part of its strategy to isolate Palestinian freedom fighters and keep them away from the fight for their cause. “Mass arrests have increased since the 1967 occupation, with around one million Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons,” she said. “This is why delving into the experiences of prisoners, especially female detainees, will help us draw a fuller picture of this colonial practice and its effects on Palestinians and the Palestinian community.

Aya Zinati, founder of the “Halaqat Istiqbal” project, discussed the goals of her initiative, which revolves around reviving an old tradition of Palestinian women, where they used to meet weekly or monthly to share their experiences and stories. The project, she said, started in 2017, with activists touring cities and villages to document the narratives of Palestinian women.

The symposium’s first session, headed by Islah Jad, a faculty member at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies  and the Institute of Women's Studies, tackled the legal and communal dimensions of Palestinian prison experiences. The second session, headed by Rula Abu Duhou, a lecturer in the Women’s Studies Program, saw former Palestinian prisoners and members of their families discuss detention in Israeli prisons. The two discussions were followed by a Q&A session with the attendees.

To see the full symposium, click here.