In celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March), over 70 Palestinian women gathered yesterday at the Alternative Information Center (AIC) in Beit Sahour for an evening of political discussions, sharing and singing.
“We gathered together, women from different religions and different political groups, to let the whole world hear our voice,” said an excited Amira Hilal, Coordinator of the AIC women’s group. “To our own society, our message today is that our culture must change because women are strong by nature, while society and traditions favor men. And our message to the world is that one day we—the women and men of Palestine—will have real freedom, living in a democratic state that provides justice and peace.”
These messages were interpreted through singing traditional and national songs, which gave the 70 women the opportunity to explode their repressing from the Israeli occupation.
In this fourth year of commemorations for International Women’s Day by the AIC, the group of women learned together about the historical struggles of working women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, struggles that helped give birth to the international women’s and labor movements, together with this day of commemoration.
The evening concluded with traditional and much-loved Palestinian national music, sung by the women collectively and individually. “The music was an act of resistance against the current oppression in our lives,” noted Hilal, “and expressed hope for a better future.”
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