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The local Jadal music group played at the AIC's annual celebration of International Women’s Day (AIC archive photo, 2008).

In celebration of International Women’s Day, over 60 Palestinian women gathered yesterday at the Alternative Information Center (AIC) in Beit Sahour for an afternoon of political discussions, laughter and singing. 

“Resistance also means living,” noted Amira Hilal, Coordinator of the AIC Women’s Project. “For so many political and social reasons we don’t always have space and time for laughter and being together, things that those in the West take for granted, so this event was particularly special for the group.”

In what is already a custom in their third year of commemorations of International Women’s Day, the group of women learned together about the historical struggles of working women in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, struggles that helped give birth to the international women’s and labor movements, together with this day of commemoration. “The connections between labor, gender and exploitation are ones that we can understand intimately from daily life,” adds Connie Hackbarth, Executive Director of the AIC.

This event was held under the auspices of the AIC’s Palestinian Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Project, which aims to empower Bethlehem-area women with knowledge, skills and a support network, network and collaborate with national women’s activities and organizations while initiating sociopolitical encounters with Israeli feminist activists.

The afternoon concluded with traditional and much-loved Arabic music, sung by the women collectively and individually. Accompanied by the local Jadal musical group, the women sang together and contemplated the words of welcome by Amira Hilal, who spoke from her heart. “Life has a variety of people, including the dominating and the oppressed […] where are we in these groups and where are we going? The AIC creates opportunities for you to examine these issues and discover the secrets of yourself.”