Invisible disasters: the effects of Israeli occupation on Palestinian gender roles

In: Contemporary Arab affairs, Volume 8, Issue 4, p. 488-504

Abstract

Women's participation in the First Intifada allowed for increased gender equality in Palestine. However, the weakness of the Palestinian Authority, established by the signing of the Oslo Accords, created space for non-state organizations like Hamas to gain a foothold in Palestine. Likewise, during the post-Oslo period conservative positions on gender resurged. This paper re-examines the structural factors that facilitated increased gender inequality and argues that the nature of the occupation itself serves as the greatest force for gender inequality in Palestine. To develop and test our theory, we draw on original, large-n survey data and in-depth interviews.