Women in a Conflict Zone: Narratives of Three Generations of Women Living in the Southern Periphery of Israel

In this study, we join the emerging feminist scholarship that has brought gender and intersectionality to the study of the effects of violent conflict and “new wars” on the civilian population. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, we analyze the personal narratives of seven women with various social backgrounds, all living in a small town located in the geographic and social periphery of Israel and in proximity to the border with Gaza. We found that alongside downplaying the dangers and normalizing the a-normality of living with a constant threat, they all expressed ongoing, all-consuming worries and fears, mainly as mothers. In contrast to the limited and stereotypical image of women and mothers prevalent in the conflict literature, for our participants, the motherly role was a driver for action mainly in the public realm, an action with which they challenged the traditional perception of motherhood and expanded it to include also the roles of breadwinners and protectors.