This book provides an analysis of the feminist and women's movements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip following the signing of the Oslo Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. It relies on numerous in-depth interviews and an analysis of various models of women's organizations linked to both the secular Palestinian national movement and the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. The book explores the implications of the Palestinian Authority's establishment on these movements, including the formation of new demands and the resulting achievements. It also examines how the rise of the Palestinian Authority and specialized NGOs weakened the popularity of social movements—be they labor, student, or women's—particularly at the organizational and mobilization levels.

The author discusses how Hamas filled the organizational vacuum left by women's groups associated with the PLO, leading to the first Palestinian Islamic women's movement in the occupied territories. The book analyzes the thinking and operational methods of women within Hamas's first public political entity, the Islamic Salvation Party, tracing the evolution of their discourse and its impact on the movement's ideology concerning women. It aims to offer a critical perspective on post-colonial thought and the dichotomies often used to study Arab societies, such as 'modernity vs. tradition' and 'Islam vs. secularism,' by exploring potential common ground between these outlooks, especially amid the ongoing struggle for national liberation.

The research for this book concludes in mid-2004 and does not cover the events following the 2006 legislative elections, which saw Hamas rise to power.

About the Author:
Islah Jad holds a Ph.D. in Development and Women's Studies from the University of London (SOAS). She is an associate professor at the Department of Cultural Studies and the Institute of Women's Studies at Birzeit University. She has authored numerous studies on the political participation of Palestinian women and the evolution of the Palestinian feminist movement. She is a prominent activist and a co-founder of several Palestinian feminist organizations.

• Publishing House: Dar Al-Farabi for Publishing and Distribution
• Year of Publication: 2014
• Number of Pages: 324
• Cover Type: Paperback
• ISBN: 9789953719214