In this contested territory, women must endure a lengthy, frustrating process when they pursue a university education abroad. Here are four of their stories.
“For me, two basic human rights are the right to education and the freedom of movement,” says Kuwaiti-raised Palestinian photojournalist Laura Boushnak (TED Talk: For these women, reading is a daring act). “Now imagine being denied both.” That’s the situation faced by many living in Gaza, where university offerings are particularly limited. Taken in spring 2016, these photographs of women in Gaza Strip are the most recent installment in Boushnak’s “I Read, I Write” project, which focuses on Arab girls and women who are using education to advance their lives. The quest for higher education for Gaza women is thwarted by the blockades that Israel and Egypt have placed on its borders.
As a result, travel to schools outside the region requires an exit permit, for which would-be students often wait months, sometimes more than a year, only to get their applications rejected. And yet, despite the obstacles and setbacks, “the only thing I see in the Gaza stories is hope,” says Boushnak, a TED Global Fellow. “These are all outspoken women who refuse to take no for an answer, and they know the system needs to be changed.”