Making Palestine's History: Women's Testimonies

These live testimonies narrate how women seized their role in the revolution and began their liberation as pioneers, grabbing every opportunity to be in the forefront of the national struggle. Vanguard women tore up the oppressive traditions, broke out of their cage and introduced their own norms. This honourable role in making history has remained in the shadow, though it is a crucial part of the Palestinian history and of women’s liberation struggle around the world.

Palestinian women’s struggle in the National Liberation Movement is intertwined with their struggle for women’s liberation. This book gives a voice to the ‘unknown soldiers’ of the Revolution, their heroic struggle on different fronts and their bold initiatives. Women had a remarkable role in the progress of the revolution, in defending it and at times were vital decision makers despite the fact that they were indefensibly denied leadership positions.

About the speaker

Born in Haifa, Palestine, Jehan Helou was soon uprooted with her family to Lebanon. For many years Jehan was passionately involved in the Palestinian National and Women Liberation struggle. She was an Executive Committee member of the General Union of Palestinian Women and a member of the Palestinian National Council and was closely involved in Arab and International women organizations.

For the last two decades Jehan became committed to the promotion of children’s culture; today she is the President of the Palestinian National section of the International Board on Books for Young People-IBBY.

Her work has included Assistant Editor, Journal of Palestine Studies; the Palestinian Research Center and as a free lance journalist. In 2000 Jehan was General Director of Tamer Institute for Community Education – Palestine.

Registration

This event will take place in-person and will not be recorded. Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to register.

Chair: Dina Matar (SOAS)

Organiser: SOAS Middle East Institute and the Centre for Palestine Studies, SOAS

Contact email: smei@soas.ac.uk