Palestinian women, the western press and the first intifada

Abstract

More than two decades have passed since the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada in 1987. The conflict was a defining conflict in the history of the modern Middle East as well as the Palestinian people, particularly Palestinian women. Palestinian women, previously less involved in public life, were extremely active in the intifada. Through traditional, qualitative analysis, this article seeks to determine if western newspaper coverage of the conflict recognized the significant role played by women. Results suggest that many western newspaper reporters did, indeed, report on female participation in the conflict, giving particular attention to female Palestinian activism, participation in physical combat and female casualties. Quite early in the intifada, western newspaper reporters seemed to recognize the historical involvement of Palestinian women in the conflict and included it in their reportage.