
Top Ten Strong and Most Influential Palestinian Women You Should Know About

Top Ten Strong and Most Influential Palestinian Women You Should Know About
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Fadwa Tuqan
Fadwa is the first Palestinian poet who fought with her words and poems for the freedom of Palestine. Her family believed that female participation in public life was unacceptable. Because of this, she educated herself with the help of her brother, also a poet, Ibrahim Tuqan.
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Annemarie Jacir
Annemarie Jacir has written, directed and produced over fourteen award-winning films including Salt of this Sea and When I Saw You. She is the only Palestinian woman who had not one but two films as official selections of the Cannes Film Festival. Founder of her own production company Philistine Films, her film When I Saw You was noted for being entirely financed by Arab funds, with an almost entirely Arab cast and crew. She continues to break new ground for Arab directors having recently won Netpac’s Best Asian Film at the Berlin International Festival.
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Queen Rania
Rania al Yassin was born on August 31, 1970 in Kuwait. Her parents Faisal Sedki al-Yassin and Ilham Yassin are from Palestine. Because of the first Gulf War, Rania’s family had to flee to Amman, Jordan. She later married the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, and she became one of the most visible and important first ladies in the Arab world. She plays an active role in promoting education and youth, highlighting the importance of women’s leadership and speaking up for refugees.
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Hind Khoury
Hind is a Palestinian economist. She was the Delegate General of the Palestine Liberation Organization in France from March 2006 until June 2010.
Khoury also worked for a number of years with UNDP/PAPP, before she took up the position of Palestinian National Authority Minister of State.
In 2005, she held the prominent cabinet position of Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, where her responsibility was mainly handling the very sensitive issue of the final status of Jerusalem. Minister Khoury was also an active civil society leader for many years focusing on development, religion and women’s affairs.
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Huwaida Arraf
Born in the U.S. from Palestinian origins, Arraf is a human rights activist, lawyer and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led organization focused on assisting the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using non-violent protests.
Arraf was the chair of Free Gaza Movement, the organization behind the Gaza Freedom Flotillas. She was aboard the 2008 Free Gaza boats as well as the 2010 flotilla that was raided by Israeli commandos.
Amira is the Communications Coordinator of Bethlehem Bible College. She is a committed Palestinian Christian who has a passion for writing about the intersection of faith and seeking justice for her fellow countrymen. To read more of her writings sign up for Bethlehem Bible College’s monthly newsletter.