São Paulo – Impoverished women, often having had husbands and children arrested or killed by the Israeli army. To become stronger, they have joined forces and, today, the Union of Committees of Palestinian Women already includes 6,000 members. The organisation was established in 1980 to support the demand for an independent Palestinian state.
"We support the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions on Israel), the campaign against the wall (in the West Bank). We are in many campaigns,” said Khitam Saafin, the organisation’s president. "We participate in national activities, defending our rights and calling for our liberty in all kinds of popular activities in Palestine,” she said.
The Union operates in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem. Saafin says that, for women, the situation of living in occupied land is even harder. "They suffer much more and take on greater responsibilities, especially when the head of the family is a martyr or is in prison. The occupation also affects our lives economically,” she pointed out.
She points out that the Palestinians must face challenges and harassment daily. “One day your land is taken over (by Israeli settlers) or your houses are demolished. There are times when you cannot visit your family, you cannot communicate with your children, when it is necessary to cross the checkpoints. The occupation policies and strategies affect us in our condition as women,” she explained.
"This makes them believe that they may face these problems, take care of their children, of their families, be strong enough to face the checkpoints to go to work, to support their husbands and the men of the family in prison. The women of Palestine are under strong pressure, but they are also gaining strength to face the challenges,” said the activist.
Saafin and another six women of the group went to Porto Alegre last week to participate in the World Social Forum Free Palestine. To her, it is essential for the Palestinian cause to receive the support of the international civil society. "This is a good opportunity for our people to come here, to interact and to present the situation in Palestine and also to discuss with social movements of the world strategies and actions that may be taken in future to support us,” she said.
Regarding the decision of the UN General Assembly to admit Palestine as an observer State, she considers it an important step, despite being just a start.
"This grants opportunities for our people to seek new advances, especially international law, but does not express true independence of a real sovereign state. That should not happen without continuing our struggle to reach a truly independent state from Palestine,” she finished off.
*Translated by Mark Ament
