Women's activism in resistance movements: A comparative analysis of Algeria and the Occupied Territories

Patriarchy functions to maintain order through hierarchal relations of power by ascribing different roles to individuals based on gender. The activism of women in resistance movements generates a disruption of patriarchal order dissolving major barriers of gender relations between males and females. With this disruption, patriarchy can manifest itself through different forms of social constructions to maintain order, usually through the family, religion, or the state. The participation of Algerian and Palestinian women in resistance movements has allowed the contestation of patriarchal authority. This study shows why Palestinian women will eventually be more successful than Algerian women in defying traditional patriarchal constructions.