Nablus - On Wednesday, the Research Journalism Initiative (RJI) facilitated a videoconference between An Najah National University and St. Mary's Academy in Colorado. The exchange featured a range of women’s issues, including education, gender solidarity, marriage and the violence of the Occupation. This event was one in a series of videoconference between these two institutions, and part of RJI’s broader efforts to connect students of An Najah with their colleagues in US classrooms.

Students in Colorado and Nablus met virtually to discuss the challenges and possibilities facing Palestinian female leaders. Ikhlas Shtayyeh, a student of English language at An Najah, started the session by sharing her own personal story of adversity and accomplishment. Shtayyeh was born blind, and is one of very few in her situation to have reached such heights in education. In order to receive her primary education, she was compelled to move away from her family to a private school in Ramallah at the age of seven. Over the years, she has endured much difficulty, such as the murder of her father by an Israeli settler while she was still in high school. Shtayyeh reflected on the psychological, financial, and social impact this event had on her entire family and shared poetry inspired by the challenges of her life. When asked how she has managed to retain such a positive, hopeful outlook, she replied quite simply, “I’m a romantic. With hope, determination, and true will,” she said, “we conquer our goals."

Students discussed the effect of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian women. Hiba Al-Tamimi, also a student of English at An-Najah, pointed out that the Israeli occupation touches the life of every woman in Palestine in many different ways, from having to deal with sexual harassment at checkpoints to being a witness to violence. Having first-hand experience with curfew and losing loved ones, she said, "It all made us tough and more determined women. We grow up faster than other girls in many places around the world.”

During the videoconference, students explored themes of education and it's importance to Palestinian women. Tamimi was quick to highlight that education is a way in which Palestinian women fight against occupation. Beesan Ramadan, a business student at An Najah, stated that when it comes to harassment at the checkpoints, the occupation doesn't differentiate between educated and uneducated Palestinian women. Nevertheless, the participants noted, educated Palestinian women who are active in the social and political sphere are more frequently targeted by the Israeli military for arrest and assassination.

RJI’s program at An Najah National University in Nablus is designed to provide new opportunities for cooperation between Palestinian students and their counterparts across the world. RJI is a project of the Assistant to the President for International and Strategic Affairs at An Najah National University and is hosted as an independent global studies initiative at the Korean-Palestinian IT Institute for Excellence. For more information, please visit us at www.RJIPalestine.net.