Palestinian activist passes away

Palestinian activist and President of General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), Sayeda Issam Abdel Hadi, passed away in the Jordanian capital of Amman on late Friday. The 85-year-old former member of the Palestinian National Council performed an important role to resist the "Israeli occupation." The General Union of Palestinian Women is the official representative of Palestinian women within the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). It was established in 1965 as a body in the PLO with the goal of creating an active role for women in the social, economic and political spheres of the Palestinian territories. Sayeda Issam Abdel Hadi was active in leading a large number of demonstrations in the country - the matter which led to her imprisonment. She was tortured and later excluded from the country in 1969 with her daughter Fayha. She served as a member of the first National Council held in Jerusalem in 1964 and was elected for the Central Council in 1974, becoming the only woman in the council for four years. In 1965, Sayeda Essam Abdel-Hadi was elected for the presidency of the General Union of Palestinian Women; she participated in six United Nations' conferences regarding the plight of women in Palestine.    The leading chairperson also headed the delegation of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) during its first women's conference held in Mexico. A pioneer for the rights of Palestinian women and an inspirational activist, Sayeda Issam Abdel Hadi will be remembered for the legacy she has left behind.