MESA Banner
Palestinian Feminist Activism in Digital and Non-Digital Spaces: Stances, Discourses, and Risks
Abstract
This study draws from theories in global south feminisms (GSF), cyberfeminism, anti-colonialism and intersectionality to illuminate Palestinian women’s activism carried out through a feminist lens. GSF describes diverse types of feminisms engaged in by women in developing countries whose lives are impacted by foreign colonization (Mohanty, 2003). One method used by global south women to address social and political issues through a feminist lens is digital activism; however, there has been little research that examines an intersectional feminism (Tazi & Oumlil, 2020) practiced by Palestinian women living under an ongoing occupation and settler colonial system (Wofle, 2006). This study examines the feminist framework of millennial (ages 25-40) Palestinian women’s activism in a global south and decolonial/anticolonial context. It highlights Palestinian women’s diverse experiences in doing feminist (Mohanty, 2003; Abu-Lughod, 1998; Khamis, 2019) activism by considering the local/historical and socio-political contexts as well as women’s agency in various forms of local activism (Herr, 2014). Research methods incorporate online, and ethnographic data collection drawn from social media accounts, pictures, posts, tweets, videos, and signs as well as interview and questionnaire data. It addresses three categories of questions including: 1) feminist activism in digital and non-digital spaces, 2) feminist discourses, narratives, and anecdotes in digital and non-digital spaces, 3) the perceptions of feminist activism by non-activists. It specifically aims to answer the question: what does current Palestinian feminist activism look like, and what are its implications for the women who engage in it? While all global south women are impacted by colonialism, this study specifically investigates the experiences of Palestinian women as indigenous, colonized, and occupied women who consider colonization a feminist issue and live under the surveillance of the State of Israeli and Palestinian Authority (PA). This research goes beyond what we know about Palestinian activism more generally and focuses specifically on activism from a feminist perspective. More broadly, this research will contribute to a broader understanding of how a feminist lens impacts the way global south women conceptualize and practice activism in digital and non-digital spaces and how they influence the wider conversations in their communities about women’s and other marginalized groups’ rights, occupation, and decolonization.
Discipline
Anthropology
Geographic Area
Palestine
Sub Area
None