Nakba 77: Amplifying Palestinian Voices and Resistance
As we mark #Nakba77 on 15 May 2025, we stand in the shadow of an ongoing genocide—but also in the glow of unbreakable Palestinian resistance. WILPF’s #Nakba77 campaign centres Palestinian women’s voices, amplifies their truths, and celebrates their resilience. We invite you to listen, share, and act upon these powerful testimonies.
Image credit: WILPF
2 min
WILPF International Secretariat
15 May 2025
The Palestinian Nakba is not a closed chapter in history—it is a continuous, living reality. Since 1948, Palestinians have endured a brutal system of settler colonialism, apartheid and military occupation. This system inflicts daily violence and oppression, reflecting both the legacy of past atrocities and an ongoing genocide. At the heart of this oppression is the Israeli occupation, which actively perpetrates daily brutality.
Today, Israel’s violations continue to escalate, brazenly defying the January 2025 ceasefire agreement. In the meantime, international law is ignored with impunity, while governments and institutions that claim to champion human rights continue to shield the occupier, fuel it with arms, resources, and trade profits, and vilify those who dare to speak out.
As we mark #Nakba77 in 2025, we do so in the shadow of ongoing genocide—but also in the light of fierce and unwavering resistance. Palestinian voices continue to rise with strength and clarity, despite relentless militarisation and deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
Text on a gray, cloudy background reads: 77 YEARS OF ONGOING NAKBA with 77 and NAKBA highlighted in blue. A timeline at the bottom left marks 2025 with a red pin labeled 77. A blue box at bottom right says Nakba77.
White text reads THE NAKBA IS NOW. Below, smaller text reads, The Nakba remains an everyday reality—fueled by Israel’s institutionalised apartheid, settler colonialism and ongoing genocide. Part of a blood-stained map appears on the right.
Text reads: PALESTINIANS ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS. Every life erased by occupation bore a name, a family and a future. These are stories of resilience. A small illustration of a child stands on the right. Background is gray and cloudy.
Text graphic with a cloudy sky background reads: Starvation is a weapon. Gaza’s blockade withholds food, water and medicine — turning each day into an act of resistance. The word resistance and Nakba77 are highlighted.
Text says, WEAPONS OF INTIMIDATION. Sexual violence and the denial of disability rights are not collateral; theyre calculated tactics. Background shows two empty wheelchairs against a cloudy sky.
Text graphic with the words: THE WORLD ARMS APARTHEID. Governments and corporations fuel the occupation—each arms shipment is a choice to support the genocide. Background shows a faded map with red stains.
White bold text reads Voices of Defiance. Below, blue and white text says: From medics and teachers to street-vendors, parents, activists and journalists — Palestinians keep hope alive amid the rubble, over a gray, smoky background.
WILPF is committed to amplifying the voices of Palestinians who continue to endure and resist an ongoing system of occupation, apartheid, displacement and genocide.
This year’s Nakba commemoration campaign (#Nakba77) highlights testimonies from Gaza and across Palestine, where Palestinian women and girls speak out about the devastating realities they face and continue to inspire us with their resistance.
“We draw strength and determination from our pain, and our will to return remains unshaken. Nakba Day is a day of remembrance, a day of resistance, and a day of hope for a future where we return to our land and rebuild our homeland.” — Madlin Hamed, Palestinian Journalist
Follow us on WILPF social media—Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn—to hear these powerful testimonies firsthand, share their stories, and stand in solidarity with Palestinians. #Nakba77
A quote from Madeleine Hamed, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza, describing genocide, massacres, displacement, starvation, and violence, with bold emphasis on the world’s active participation and violation of international law.
A quote in blue text highlights challenges faced by persons with disabilities, including reduced mobility and lack of essential support, attributed to Marwa Sitti, a displaced woman with visual disability from Jenin Camp.
A quote in blue text shares a woman’s loss of her husband, children, and family in Rafah after an Israeli attack. She describes her daughters illness and lack of support. Attribution below cites Alaa, Nakba77.
A quote from Aisha, an 85-year-old Palestinian woman, criticizes Netanyahu for putting himself above the law and disregarding international law, human rights, and alleged massacres by Israeli forces since 1948.
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WILPF International Secretariat
WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.
Matt Mahmoudi
Matt Mahmoudi (he/him) is a lecturer, researcher, and organizer. He’s been leading the “Ban the Scan” campaign, Amnesty International’s research and advocacy efforts on banning facial recognition technologies and exposing their uses against racialized communities, from New York City to the occupied Palestinian territories.
Berit Aasen
Europe Alternate Regional Representative
Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.
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Melissa Torres
VICE-PRESIDENT
Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.
Jamila Afghani
VICE-PRESIDENT
Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.
Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo
PRESIDENT
Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.
WILPF Afghanistan
In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region.
IPB Congress Barcelona
WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative
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Demilitarisation
WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.
Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.
Militarised masculinity
Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.
WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.
Feminist peace
In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.
In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.
