Educational Media Reviews Online

Based upon powerful testimonials of Palestinian women activists and ex-political prisoners, Women in Struggle focuses on and discloses the continuous oppression and resistance experienced by the Palestinian people in response to the restrictive impositions of the Zionist state of Israel. The women interviewed share recollections of their lives prior to the Israeli occupation of 1967, their political awakening and activism, and the painful account of torture during years of imprisonment. The film highlights the violation of women’s human rights and presents a strong critique of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The two activists portrayed more prominently are Aisha Odeh and Rawda Basir. From middle class and liberal backgrounds, both women participated actively in the struggles of 1967, when Israel emerged from the war with annexed territories, and spent many years in the Israeli prison system. Each woman’s narrative is complemented by old family photos and juxtaposed with contemporary scenes of Palestinian street demonstrations most likely from newsreel footage. The camera captures an intense and caustic exchange at a highway checkpoint, where a young Israeli soldier engages in a hostile exchange with Odeh and the filmmaker, driver and passenger respectively, foreshadowing the tension between the Palestinians and the Israeli, and the humiliation Palestinians suffer on daily basis. Numerous difficulties, such as the many checkpoints on major highways and the restriction of movement and access, force the Palestinians to park the car in the city’s outskirts and walk long distances to reach their destination, adding to their frustration and hardship. The distrust between Israelis and Palestinians is also evidenced as Basir visits the neighborhood in Jerusalem where she lived as a child. Basir is clearly disturbed to see her former neighborhood populated by many Israeli (settlers) families.

Odeh and Rashir Rohar, another activist, reminisce about their prison life and the torture both suffered. By denial of basic rights, exposure of their nudity to male prisoners, rape, and in the case of Rohar, attempted forced sex with her father, the women were subjected to shame and isolation, especially in the context of Islam. Yet, in contrast to these atrocities, the women demonstrate resiliency and talk about their agency and solidarity that emerged from years in prison, while describing long lasting physical and emotional scars. Odeh, in particular, mentions how the prison experience disengaged her from the tradition of patriarchy and family obligations and gave her a sense of liberation and empowerment.

The activists share with the camera glimpses of humor interspersed with tragic memories and personal losses. However, they give the indication that their lives have moved on. Their energy and focus are channeled into different arenas now. While Odeh devotes her energy to creative artwork by making floral images, Rohar is busy with her husband raising an adopted son. Still, as the camera follows the wall built by the Israeli government restricting the Palestinians and the barbed wire demarcating territories, the images seem to underscore the persistence of confinement and injustice. The images accentuate the political struggles and difficulties that the Palestinians face and challenge viewers to reflect or take a position on a spectrum of issues, particularly human rights of women in war ravaged regions.

This film is highly recommended for discussion and study in gender studies, violence against women, Middle Eastern studies, and sociology.