Famous Palestinian Women

Vote for Your Favourite Palestinian Women

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 1 
Leem Lubany
(Actress)
Leem Lubany
1
Birthdate: August 31, 1997
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nazareth, Israel
 2 
Noura Erakat
(Human rights activist)
Noura Erakat
2
Birthdate: January 16, 1980
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Alameda County, California, United States
 3 
Hanan Ashrawi
(Palestinian Politician, Legislator, Activist, and Scholar)
Hanan Ashrawi
1
Birthdate: October 8, 1946
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Nablus, Palestine

Hanan Ashrawi is a Palestinian leader, legislator, activist, and scholar. She was the official spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation at the Madrid Peace Conference of 1991 and was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council as a representative of Jerusalem in 1996. She is also the founder of the Independent Commission for Human Rights and the author of several books. 

 4 
Rim Banna
(Singer)
Rim Banna
0
Birthdate: December 8, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nazareth, Israel
Died: March 24, 2018
 5 
Rouzan al-Najjar
(Nurse)
Rouzan al-Najjar
3
Birthdate: September 13, 1997
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Khuza'a, Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip
Died: June 1, 2018
 6 
Mona Hatoum
(Installation artist)
Mona Hatoum
0
Birthdate: 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
 7 
Leila Khaled
(Political activist)
Leila Khaled
5
Birthdate: April 9, 1944
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Haifa, Israel
 8 
Saint Anne
(Mother of Virgin Mary)
Saint Anne
9
Birthdate: 0050 BC
Birthplace: Bethlehem
Died: 0012 AD
Though she finds no mention in the Bible, Saint Anne is regarded as the mother of the Virgin Mary, and thus the grandmother of Jesus Christ. Ancient scriptures mention how Gabriel had visited childless Anne and Joachim and had told them they would have a child dedicated to God.
 9 
Susan Abulhawa
(Writer)
Susan Abulhawa
0
Birthdate: June 3, 1970
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kuwait
 10 
Hiam Abbass
(Actress)
Hiam Abbass
8
Birthdate: November 30, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nazareth, Israel
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 11 
Maliheh Afnan
(Artist)
Maliheh Afnan
0
Birthdate: March 24, 1935
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Haifa, Palestine
Died: January 6, 2016
 12 
Suha Arafat
(Author)
Suha Arafat
8
Birthdate: July 17, 1963
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
 13 
Janan Harb
(Fahd of Saudi Arabia's wife)
Janan Harb
0
Birthdate: 1947 AD
Birthplace: Ramallah, Palestine
 14 
Raymonda Tawil
(Writer)
Raymonda Tawil
0
Birthdate: 1940 AD
Birthplace: Acre in Mandatory Palestine
 15 
Karimeh Abbud
(Photographer)
Karimeh Abbud
1
Birthdate: November 18, 1893
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Ottoman Empire
Died: April 27, 1940
 16 
Mai Masri
(Filmmaker)
Mai Masri
1
Birthdate: April 2, 1959
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Amman, Jordan
 17 
Ghada Karmi
(Doctor of medicine)
Ghada Karmi
0
Birthdate: 1939 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem

Palestinian doctor of medicine, author and academic Ghada Karmi is associated with the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter as research fellow and lecturer. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Karmi has penned several articles on Palestinian issues in Wayback Machine and in newspapers and magazines like Journal of Palestine Studies and The Guardian.

 18 
Emily Jacir
(Artist)
Emily Jacir
0
Birthdate: 1972 AD
Birthplace: Bethlehem
 19 
Vera Baboun
(Palestinian Politician Who Became the First Woman to Serve as the Mayor of Bethlehem)
Vera Baboun
1
Birthdate: October 6, 1964
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bethlehem
Vera Baboun is a Palestinian politician who became the first woman to serve as the mayor of Bethlehem; she served in that position from October 2012 to 27 May 2017. She is currently working towards empowering women in Palestine. Vera Baboun is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Chiara Lubich Award.
 20 
Khalida Jarrar
(Palestinian Political Leader)
Khalida Jarrar
0
Birthdate: February 9, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nablus
Khalida Jarrar is a Palestinian politician and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. She is currently serving as the leader of the Prisoners Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Khalida Jarrar played an important role in Palestine's bid to join the International Criminal Court.
 21 
Reem Kassis
(Writer)
Reem Kassis
0
Birthdate: 1987 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem
 22 
May Ziadeh
(A Pioneer of Oriental Feminism in Arab Literary World and Key Figure in the 'Nahda' Movement)
May Ziadeh
1
Birthdate: February 11, 1886
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nazareth, Vilayet of Syria
Died: October 17, 1941

A pioneering Arab feminist and romantic poet, May Ziadeh was a major figure of the Nahda, or the Arab Enlightenment of the 20th century. She initially mostly wrote in French, using the pseudonym Isis Copia, while she later drifted toward Arabic. Al-Mûsawât and Sawâneh fatât remain 2 of her best-known works.

 23 
Sahar Khalifeh
(Writer)
Sahar Khalifeh
0
Birthdate: 1941 AD
Birthplace: Nablus, Palestine
 24 
Reem Riyashi
(Suicide bomber)
Reem Riyashi
2
Birthdate: 1981 AD
Birthplace: Gaza City, Palestine
Died: January 14, 2004
 25 
Adania Shibli
(Author)
Adania Shibli
0
Birthdate: 1974 AD
Birthplace: Palestine
 26 
Wafa Idris
(First Palestinian female suicide bomber)
Wafa Idris
5
Birthdate: February 11, 1975
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Am'ari Refugee Camp, West Bank, Palestinian territories
Died: January 27, 2002
 27 
Hind al-Husseini
(Educator)
Hind al-Husseini
1
Birthdate: April 25, 1916
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Jerusalem
Died: September 13, 1994
 28 
Leila Shahid
(Palestinian Diplomat)
Leila Shahid
0
Birthdate: July 13, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
 29 
Areen Omari
(Palestinian Actress and Producer)
Areen Omari
0
Birthplace: West Bank, Palestine
 30 
Hanan Al Hroub
(Educator)
Hanan Al Hroub
1
Birthdate: March 6, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Palestine
 31 
Iqbal Mahmoud Al Assad
(Physician)
Iqbal Mahmoud Al Assad
0
Birthdate: February 2, 1993
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Palestine
 32 
Annemarie Jacir
(Film director, Screenwriter, Poet, Writer)
Annemarie Jacir
2
Birthdate: January 17, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bethlehem
 33 
Tarab Abdul Hadi
(Activist)
Tarab Abdul Hadi
0
Birthdate: 1910 AD
Birthplace: Jenin, Palestine (region) Palestine, Ottoman empire
Died: 1976 AD
 34 
Janet Mikhail
(The First Female Mayor of Ramallah)
Janet Mikhail
0
Birthdate: 1945 AD
Birthplace: Ramallah, Palestine

Janet Mikhail scripted history as the first female mayor of Ramallah, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. She also taught in a girls’ school for 2 decades. Although many believe she was associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine movement, she won the election as an independent candidate.

 35 
Nisreen Faour
(Actress)
Nisreen Faour
0
Birthdate: August 2, 1972
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Israel

Nisreen Faour is a Palestinian actress best known for her portrayal of Muna Farah in the 2009 independent film Amreeka. The performance earned her critical acclaim and the Muhr Award for Best Actress at the 2009 Dubai International Film Festival. Apart from playing prominent roles in films and TV, Nisreen Faour has also performed in several award-winning theatrical plays. 

 36 
Jean Said Makdisi
(Writer)
Jean Said Makdisi
0
Birthdate: 1940 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
 37 
Suad Amiry
(Author)
Suad Amiry
1
Birthdate: 1951 AD
Birthplace: West Bank, Ramallah
 38 
Ibtisam Barakat
(Author)
Ibtisam Barakat
0
Birthdate: October 2, 1963
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: East Jerusalem
 39 
Mayada Al-Sayad
(Marathon runner)
Mayada Al-Sayad
0
Birthdate: October 26, 1992
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
 40 
Nadia Hijab
(Palestinian Political Analyst, Journalist, and Author)
Nadia Hijab
0
Birthdate: 1950 AD
Birthplace: Aleppo, Syria
Nadia Hijab is a Palestinian political analyst, journalist, and author. Best known for her comments on Middle East affairs and human rights, Nadia Hijab is credited with co-founding Al-Shabaka, a transnational think tank that aims at bringing together Palestinian writers and thinkers from all over the world.
 41 
Laila Al-Marayati
(Doctor)
Laila Al-Marayati
0
Birthdate: 1962 AD
Birthplace: Unknown
 42 
Laila Shawa
(One of the Most Prolific and Important Artists of the Revolutionary Contemporary Art Scene in the Arab World)
Laila Shawa
0
Birthdate: 1940 AD
Birthplace: Gaza
Laila Shawa is a Palestinian artist who uses art to highlight the political situation of her country. She is one of the most prolific and important artists of the revolutionary contemporary art scene in the Arab world. Laila Shawa's artwork, which includes installations, sculptures, and paintings, has been exhibited all over the world.
 43 
Anahid Fayad
(Actress)
Anahid Fayad
3
Birthdate: July 6, 1983
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Damascus, Syria
 44 
Intissar al-Wazir
(Palestinian Political Leader)
Intissar al-Wazir
2
Birthdate: December 12, 1941
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Gaza, Palestine
Intissar al-Wazir is a Palestinian political leader best known for her service as the Social Affairs Minister of the State of Palestine from 1995 to 2005. Intissar al-Wazir is also credited with founding the General Union of Palestinian Women, which focuses on the economic, social, and legal status of women in Palestine.
 45 
Umm Nidal
(One of the Prominent Islamist Female Leaders in Palestine.)
Umm Nidal
5
Birthdate: December 24, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Shuja'iyya, Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Died: March 17, 2013

Umm Nidal, also known as the mother of martyrs, was a Palestinian hero of sorts, as 3 of her 6 sons were Hamas terrorists who died in their fight against Israelis. Also known as the Khansa of Palestine, she gained fame after appearing in a clip advising one of her sons.

 46 
Serene Husseini Shahid
(Jamal al-Husayni's daughter)
Serene Husseini Shahid
0
Birthdate: 1920 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem
Died: 2008 AD
 47 
Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti
(The Founder of Hamas' women's Organization)
Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti
0
Birthdate: 1955 AD
Birthplace: Unknown

Initially a lecturer, Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti later led the Hamas’s women's organization. The widow of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, also known as the Lion of Palestine, Jamila is vocal about women’s rights and is a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. She also holds a PhD in English language.

 48 
Mai al-Kaila
(The First Woman to Hold the Position of Health Minister of Palestine)
Mai al-Kaila
1
Birthdate: April 8, 1955
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Jordanian-ruled West Bank, Israel
Mai al-Kaila is a Palestinian diplomat, politician, and doctor. She is the current Health Minister of Palestine, the first woman to serve in that position. An important diplomat, Mai al-Kaila also served as the Palestinian Ambassador to Italy and to Chile between 2006 and 2019. 
 49 
Dana Dajani
(Palestinian Actress and Writer)
Dana Dajani
0
Birthplace: Palestine
 50 
Samah Jabr
(Psychiatrist)
Samah Jabr
0
Birthdate: August 8, 1976
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jerusalem