The Arab Women's Association of Palestine (AWA) also known as the Arab Women's Association was a Palestinian women's organization founded by the Arab Women's executive committee (AWE) in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

in the mandate of Palestine on 26 October 1929. The AWE organized and hosted the First Palestine Arab Women's Congress or First Arab Women's Congress in Jerusalem in 1929. The Congress was the first international women's conference in the Arab and the Islamic world, and a predecessor of the First Eastern Women's Congress. The Congress in Jerusalem in 1929 gathered two hundred Palestinian Muslim and Christian women, and passed three resolutions demanding: the abrogation of the 1917

Balfour Declaration The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British Government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman regio ...

, recognition of Palestine's right to a proportionally representative national government, and development of Palestinian industries.

Foundation

The

1929 Palestine riots The 1929 Palestine riots, Buraq Uprising (, ) or the Events of 1929 (, , ''lit.'' Events of 5689 Anno Mundi), was a series of demonstrations and riots in late August 1929 in which a longstanding dispute between Palestinian Arabs and Jews ove ...

resulted in a national Palestine mobilization. This resulted in the foundation of the Arab Women's executive committee (AWE). It was the first women's organization in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

, and the starting point of the Palestinian women's movement. The AWE organized and hosted the First Palestine Arab Women's Congress or First Arab Women's Congress in Jerusalem in 1929. The Congress was the first international women's conference in the Arab and the Islamic world, and a predecessor of the First Eastern Women's Congress. During the Congress, the Arab Women's executive committee (AWE) founded the Arab Women's Association of Palestine (AWA). The goals of the AWA was stated as:

work for the development of the social and economic affairs of the Arab women in Palestine, to endeavor to secure the extension of educational facilities for girls, ndto use every possible and lawful means to elevate the standing of women.

The founding members were Wahida al-Khalidi (president), Matiel Mogannam and Katrin Deeb (secretaries), Shahinda Duzdar (treasurer), Naʿimiti al-Husayni, Tarab Abd al-Hadi, journalist Mary Shihada, Anisa al-Khadra, Khadija al-Husayni, Diya alNashashibi, headteacher Melia Sakakini, Zlikha al-Shihabi, Kamil Budayri, Fatima al-Husayni, Zahiya alNashashibi, and Saʿdiyya al-Alami. The pioneers of the Palestinian women's movement generally came from the minority of unveiled modernist middle-class women with Western education, who advocated women's emancipation in order to contribute to the success of a future free Palestine.Fleischmann, E. (2003). The Nation and Its "New" Women: The Palestinian Women's Movement, 1920-1948. Storbritannien: University of California Press. Its members encouraged women to break gender segregation and participate in society; one prominent member, Tarab Abdul Hadi, was active in the campaign against the

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the human head, head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has be ...

, an initiative encouraging Palestinian women to remove their veils.

Activity

The AWA formed branches in many Palestinian cities and towns, and became the leading organization of the Palestinian women's movement. It was active in the Arab protests against the British mandate: it proved support for the prisoners and rebels of the 1936 and 1939 revolts, protested to the British authorities, and rallied international and regional support for the Palestinian national movement.

Split

In 1938, the AWA attended the Eastern Women’s Conference for the Defense of Palestine in Cairo. In 1944, the AWA split in the original AWA and the

Arab Women's Union Arab Feminist Union (AFU), also called All-Arab Feminist Union, General Arab Feminist Union and Arab Women's Union, was an umbrella organisation of feminist associations from Arab countries, founded in 1945.Weber, C. (2001). Unveiling Scheherazade: ...

, which was formally established as the Arab Feminist Union (AFU) after the

Arab Women's Congress of 1944 Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

. The AWA continued to function, mainly in the form of a charitable association in Jerusalem.

References

{{commons category * Fleischmann, Ellen L. "The Emergence of the Palestinian Women's Movement, 1929–1939." Journal of Palestine Studies 29, no. 3 (2000): 16–32. Organizations established in 1929 Women's rights organizations Women's organizations based in Palestine 1929 establishments 1929 establishments in Mandatory Palestine Feminism and history Feminist organizations in Asia Palestinian women 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine Hijab

Foundation

Activity

Split

See also

References