Falastiniyyat (A Century of Palestinian Feminisms)

From early 20th-century pioneers to modern-day revolutionaries, this powerful narrative showcases the resilience and impact of Palestinian feminists across generations.

Nadia Elia tells the long-suppressed story of Palestinian women's organizing from 1929 to today. From Matiel Mogannam confronting British imperialism through the Arab Women's Congress, to Jean Makdisi building Arab-American solidarity networks, all the way up to contemporary activists fighting femicide and pinkwashing throughout the world, Nada Elia charts the invaluable role of women throughout a century of Palestinian resistance. By showing how Palestinian women have consistently linked personal empowerment with collective liberation, anti-colonial struggle with social transformation, Elia gives Palestinian feminists their rightful place in the global feminist canon. In this unprecedented study, these activists appear as pioneers of a uniquely intersectional, anti-imperial feminist politics. Falastiniyyat rescues Palestinian feminist organizing from obscurity, showing how women have been central to every phase of Palestinian resistance. It positions Palestinian feminism within the canon of Black and women of color feminisms, challenging the false narrative that feminism is a "Western import".