Op de schouders van de revolutie: Islamistisch vrouwenactivisme in de Palestijnse gebieden

Abstract

This bachelor thesis aims to critically analyse the contributions of the Islamist women’s movement to women’s empowerment in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) within an intersectional framework. In order to understand the ideologies, motivations and intentions of Palestinian Islamist movements, one must examine their development within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By analysing how the conflict affects the social, economic and political factors which Palestinians are subject to, one might come to understand why the Islamist movement – particularly, Hamas – has gained such momentum over the past decades. Moreover, by taking the historical and political context into account when studying the evolution of the Islamist women’s movement in the oPt, the relevance of their contribution to women’s rights and gender discourse can be revealed. Since the struggle for women’s rights is usually viewed within a Western feminist frame, the achievements and interests of non-Western women are often overshadowed or underrepresented. Furthermore, the intersecting patriarchal and colonial power structures and the ongoing conflict have limited women activists’ abilities to advance their position within society. Lastly, this research aims to problematise the notion that Islamist women are tools in the hands of men that propagate their own oppression and lack the agency to make their own decisions.