Being a woman born and raised in Palestine made me the person I am today. Every day, I go through military checkpoints, and I feel intimidated not only for being a Palestinian, but for being a woman. I watch in frustrated silence as my sons get frightened by Israeli soldiers as they go to school.
But it was not just the occupation. Growing up in a conservative society with limited opportunities for women, especially young women, I deeply know the experience of social restrictions, discriminatory laws, and political and social violence. My own society stigmatises me for being independent and choosing the life I want to live.
I have spent the last ten years defending the rights of Palestinian women, starting with my own right to choose a life free from violence and to have equal opportunities to men. I have now chosen to inspire other women in my society to break their silence and speak out. I want people all over the world to know about the everyday brutalities of the Israeli occupation. I want them to realise what it means to live in Palestine, where you can live in your own land but with no control over any resource and no enjoyment of your basic human rights, including rights to life and freedom of movement.
But no one woman can change Palestinian women’s reality alone. This is why I joined the #IMatter campaign — a campaign that highlights the stories of women who have the courage to fight for their rights.