Arab Women's Association of Palestine

The Congress in Jerusalem in 1929 gathered two hundred Palestinian Muslim and Christian women, and passed three resolutions demanding: the abrogation of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, recognition of Palestine's right to a proportionally representative national government, and development of Palestinian industries.

The goals of the AWA was stated as:work for the development of the social and economic affairs of the Arab women in Palestine, to endeavor to secure the extension of educational facilities for girls, [and] to use every possible and lawful means to elevate the standing of women.The founding members were Wahida al-Khalidi (president), Matiel Mogannam and Katrin Deeb (secretaries), Shahinda Duzdar (treasurer), Naʿimiti al-Husayni, Tarab Abd al-Hadi, journalist Mary Shihada, [3] Anisa al-Khadra, Khadija al-Husayni, Diya alNashashibi, headteacher Melia Sakakini,[3] Zlikha al-Shihabi, Kamil Budayri, Fatima al-Husayni, Zahiya alNashashibi, and Saʿdiyya al-Alami.

[4] Its members encouraged women to break gender segregation and participate in society; one prominent member, Tarab Abdul Hadi, was active in the campaign against the veil, an initiative encouraging Palestinian women to remove their veils.

[citation needed] It was active in the Arab protests against the British mandate: it proved support for the prisoners and rebels of the 1936 and 1939 revolts, protested to the British authorities, and rallied international and regional support for the Palestinian national movement.

[citation needed] In 1938, the AWA attended the Eastern Women’s Conference for the Defense of Palestine in Cairo.