Survival and Resilience Among Palestinian Women: A Qualitative Analysis Using Individual and Collective Life Events Calendars

Life calendar events (LECs) - both individual and collective

This study is focused on the resilience and survival strategies of Palestinian women living under political oppression and war in Gaza. Using individual and collective life events calendars, the authors explore how women navigate traumatic experiences and foster well-being through community support and family ties. The qualitative analysis reveals that women’s narratives reflect resilience through transgenerational practices of resistance and indigenous coping strategies. These accounts highlight the dual impact of individual and collective suffering within historical and sociopolitical contexts, showing the interplay between enduring systemic violence and maintaining hope and agency. This research underscores the importance of collective narrative practices as tools for healing and empowerment, reframing women from victims to agents of survival and resistance in protracted conflicts. It emphasizes the role of historical and cultural continuity in fostering resilience, offering insights for interventions in similar settings.

Local Palestinian facilitators and linguistic mediators were involved in the project
The research emphasized recognizing and amplifying the participants’ resilience, coping strategies, and agency rather than focusing solely on trauma or suffering.

By engaging in collective activities like building historical timelines and sharing stories, participants develop a shared understanding of their experiences. This collective meaning-making creates solidarity, reduces isolation, and provides a sense of coherence and purpose amid the fragmentation caused by violence. Change is seen as rooted in social connections, family ties, and community support systems, which act as protective factors against the adverse effects of trauma.

Individual Life Events Calendars (LECs)
Collective historical timelines
Observational data

The participants wrote messages intended for global audiences, encapsulating their experiences, resilience strategies, and hopes. These messages were a way to share their perspectives beyond the immediate research context.

"During the creative process of production of the collective calendar, a significant
reframing about the women’s individual and collective suffering took place. Here,
women articulated how they build resilience through transgenerational and daily practices of resistance that encompass indigenous strategies of coping and skills of survival to confront with an oppressive and dehumanizing colonial power" (p. 913)

"Describing and sharing their story of survival across time reinforced their perception of resilience and hope for the future" (p. 913)

Gender studies
Psychology
Sociology
Peace and conflict studies