Women, Peace and Liberation: Israeli and Palestinian Women’s Peacebuilding and the Feminist Question of Gaza

This paper examines the role of Israeli and Palestinian women in peacebuilding processes, focusing on the obstacles to their participation, the contribution of feminist movements, and the gendered consequences of the war in Gaza. It Particular attention is devoted to Tal’at, a Palestinian intersectional feminist movement that connects women’s liberation with the collective struggle for Palestinian liberation. The paper also analyses the structural obstacles that limit women’s participation in peace processes, including patriarchal norms, gender stereotypes, militarisation, and the marginalisation of women from formal negotiations. It examines the disproportionate impact of the war in Gaza on women and girls. The paper argues that women’s participation in peacebuilding should not be regarded as secondary to political and security priorities. Gender equality, social justice, and the inclusion of women in decision-making are essential to developing a sustaining and inclusive peace. From this perspective, the Palestinian question is also a feminist question, as the struggle against occupation, structural oppression, and gender-based violence is interconnected with the aim of collective liberation.