Palestinian women demand their rights

Events to mark ‘International Women’s Day’ began in earnest in Palestine on March 6th as women from various movements and organisations staged a small demonstration outside the entrance to Yasser Arafat’s tomb at al-Muqata’ in Ramallah. The event which was called for by a coalition of women’s groups in the city demanded full equality for women under law and in practice in Palestine. Palestine Authority police and plain clothes security officers requested that the protesters move away from the presidential compound and in to the city centre but the demonstrators refused to be moved as they exercised their rights to protest which should be the norm in any society.

On March 8th – the day celebrated as ‘International Women’s Day’ globally – a much larger protest gathered at the entrance to Qalandia refugee camp on the outskirts of Ramallah and made its way towards Jerusalem. Organisers said the protest would attempt to pass the checkpoint and reach Jerusalem although upon reaching Qalandia checkpoint and the Apartheid Wall it was met with a violent response from the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) who fired large amounts of tear gas and percussion grenades at the non-violent march. Palestinian flags were hung on the fences of the checkpoint and some Palestinian youth as well as women responded to the tear gas by throwing stones at the IOF.

For women in Palestine these two events are only the start of many being held across Palestine in the coming days. The demand for full gender equality and women’s rights within Palestinian society and the collective demands of all Palestinian people for liberation will be highlighted jointly during these events.

MEMO Photographer: Rich Wiles

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