Palestinian family history in Bethlehem and Jerusalem: Exploring women's exclusion from family trees

This study is part of a larger qualitative research project about exploring and preserving Palestinian family history in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The aims of this paper are to explore the exclusion and inclusion of Palestinian women in family trees, the consequences of women's exclusion on participants' feelings, participants' curiosity about their female ancestors and their lives, and to gain insights into women in their family history. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using 27 in-depth interviews with Palestinian participants from Bethlehem and Jerusalem between December 2023 and October 2024. Dual-step content and thematic analysis were utilized, and four themes emerged: 1) discovering the strength of female ancestors and understanding their lives, 2) recognizing the reasons women's names were excluded from family trees, 3) discussing the impact of women's exclusion on Palestinians, and 4) honoring Palestinian women as storytellers, transmitting values and history. Findings showed that participants were strongly rooted in their interest and connection to their female ancestors. Patriarchal society and tradition were the main reasons behind excluding women from family trees. As a result of this exclusion, participants expressed negative feelings, such as anger or upset, and advocated for the inclusion of women's names in family trees. The final theme highlighted the roles of Palestinian women as storytellers who transmit values, traditions, and knowledge from generation to generation, and connect the past to the present. Palestinian women's names are essential to include, given that they are part of the roots and branches of family trees.