While Palestine can boast with many competent, successful, creative, engaged and active women, many others are struggling daily to cope with the double impact of a traditional, male-oriented society and the repercussions of the occupation that not only affects their rights and freedoms but also impacts their life quality, health, and financial conditions in environments polluted by settlements. In this issue you will find informative articles and personal testimonies by women from a variety of backgrounds. Some voices highlight the support and camaraderie that women, families, and friends are extending to each other in times of hardship and tragedy – that make Palestinian so warm and special – but I should warn you: most of these are not light reading, even though many women are defying the odds!
Our heartfelt Thank You goes to the Representative Office of Switzerland Ramallah and to UN Women–Palestine, the institutions that helped financially support this issue, as well as to Cowater International and the Generating Revenue Opportunities for Women and Girls (GROW) project. I want to thank our numerous authors in this issue, many of whom speak on someone else’s behalf. They include Randa Siniora, the head of the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling that has enriched the content of this issue and where Reem Natsheh deserves a special Thank You for the preparation of this material. Gratitude deserve Dr. Ola Awad, Luna Saadeh, Dr. Hadeel Qazzaz, Silvia Albina, Rafah Anabtawi, Amina Abdulhaq, Muna Nassar, as well as the women (and men) behind the other institutions that contributed to the rich content of this issue, not all of whom are mentioned by name. They include the Business Women Forum–Palestine, where Jumana Salous and Doa Wadi deserves special mention, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association, Safa Madi from GROW, and Yasmin El-Rifae and Basma Sharif who inform us about the Palestine Festival of Literature 2020. Last but not least, I thank Tariq Dana who explains why Palestinian cultural centers and NGOs are refusing the political conditions to aid imposed by the European Union.
This month’s special personality is Amani Aruri, the artist of the month is composer Dina Shilleh, and our book of the month is I Read I Write by Laura Boushnak. Visit the exhibition Shoreless Sea with works by Tayseer Barakat, cook a variety of delicacies at Bait Al Karama in Nablus (Where to Go) or maqloubeh at home with Mirna Bamie’s recipe (TWiP Kitchen). Enjoy the many events listed!
Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at TWiP,
Sincerely,
Tina Basem
