Unmarried in Palestine: Embodiment and (dis)Empowerment in the Lives of Single Palestinian Women (original) (raw)
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In Gaza, one finds both an impressive rate of early marriage and the highest rate of fertility in the world. 42 percent of women marry at 18 years or less whereas half the population is under 15. This phenomenon begs the following question: why is early marriage ever more frequent in Gaza but on the decline in the West Bank? This article proposes to develop an historical and sociological analysis of marriage trends in Gaza based on a diachronic examination of local Islamic court archives and interviews with people practicing this type of marriage today, while taking into account changing economic and political circumstances.
2003
I would like to express my deep thanks and appreciation to the people who helped me finish my study. Without their support and cooperation, this dream would not come true. These people are: My high gratitude and appreciation to Professor Denis Anthony, my first academic advisor for his support, guidance and encouragement. My great thanks to Professor Christopher Maggs, my ex-academic advisor for his assistance and support. Sincere appreciation and gratefulness for Dr. Michael Sansur, my local supervisor for his guidance, assistance, and support. Sincere appreciation to Father Ray Webb who helped in correcting my grammatical and dictation mistakes. Sincere appreciation for Raja Jarrar and Baseema Al-Jaghoub for their help in the data collection in the north region of the West Bank. Special thanks for my nursing students who helped in transcribing the interviews. Special thanks to my health workers in Hebron, my nursing students, and my friends all over the West Bank who helped in locating potential respondents of my thesis.
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The impacts of divorce for Palestinian women are changing over time in important ways. Some women seek divorce to escape domestic abuse and restricted autonomy, but in previous generations many experienced social exclusion instead of understanding and support. We aimed to understand how divorce changes the lives and psychological wellbeing of contemporary Palestinian women, how intersecting identities might influence change, and to recommend areas of Palestinian research development for traditionally marginalized groups. A single-case narrative was developed from a translated transcript, and common themes were compared with quantitative data from a sample of 93 divorced women assessed with a survey designed by local clinicians. In the single-case narrative, divorce represented freedom from a 'prison-like' marriage and a chance for personal development. Half of the broader sample shared experiences of abusive marriages and most anticipated more freedom following divorce. We conclude that divorce in the context of a conflicted or abusive marriage can improve the lives of Palestinian women and provide opportunities for wellbeing and personal growth. However, post-divorce experience varies depending on age, family support, living situation and educational level. Enriched understanding in this area will require the development of methodologies relevant to the sociocultural and political context.
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