Led by Equality in Tourism Associate Samah Ouda Abu Na’meh, the Battir Women Association is based in a Palestinian village in the Bethlehem region of the occupied West Bank. The association usually generates income through tourism, but given the difficult circumstances of occupation and the ongoing war on Gaza, it’s had to adapt its approach.
Here fellow Associate and Palestinian Wisam Abbasi reflects on the resilience of Battir’s women and the connection to local heritage sustaining their activities.
In the Silence, They Stayed
As spring brings the terraced hills of Battir to life, the valley glows in shades of green and gold. This ancient Palestinian village – renowned for its Roman-era irrigation system and stone-walled olive groves – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its outstanding universal value. Battir’s landscape reflects centuries of human adaptation and environmental stewardship, with gravity-fed canals from the Roman and Ottoman periods still in use today.
Yet, despite its breathtaking vistas and rich heritage, the village has fallen silent.
No visitors visit the town, leaving walking trails deserted, guesthouses empty, and women’s associations idle. With no income-generating activities, many women find themselves supporting their families in the absence of male employment – jobs having disappeared amid closures and a deepening economic crisis driven by ongoing instability.
But amid the silence, a quiet resilience is stirring. At the heart of Battir’s renewed spirit is the Battir Women Association (BWA), a grassroots initiative led by local women committed to preserving their village’s heritage and empowering their community in the face of economic and political adversity.
Founded in the early 2000s, the BWA began as a small group of women focused on preserving traditional Palestinian crafts, foods, and cultural practices. Over time, it evolved into a hub of female entrepreneurship, hosting cooking workshops, handicraft exhibitions, and heritage festivals attracting local and international visitors.
Reviving Heritage Through Resilience
“Battir is more than a beautiful landscape – it’s a story of survival,” says Samah, founder of the association. “And when tourism slows, our heritage becomes our livelihood.”
In keeping with Chiara De Cesari’s research on how heritage in Palestine can become a form of quiet resistance and self-governance, the women of Battir are leaning into their culture and traditions to push back against the challenges they face. They turn everyday acts like making jam, weaving and farming into ways of sustaining their community, asserting their identity, and reclaiming their space. Their work blurs the line between cultural expression and political resilience, proving that in the silence, they have not given up; they’ve re-rooted themselves.
Despite all the pain and disappointment, Samah continues to use a positive voice to describe her current activities. “We still have several initiatives underway, even under these difficult circumstances. We’re twinning with an association in the UK and have been teaching women there how to make the orange jam online. We’re also conducting workshops for women to learn traditional Palestinian handicrafts, and we’re still producing our food products –those we normally sell to visitors in Battir village.”
With tourism halted due to the regional instability and restrictions on movement, the women have turned their focus inward. They are reviving ancient knowledge, investing in sustainable farming, and strengthening their social ties. The association’s small kitchen now produces seasonal jams, sun-dried herbs, and traditional Palestinian dishes for local markets. Olive oil soaps and embroidered textiles are handcrafted with care, embodying generations of knowledge passed from mother to daughter. Additionally, the association has also returned to the land itself. In partnership with the farmers association, BWA members tend to communal gardens, replant native seeds, and care for the land.
These agricultural efforts are practical and a deeply symbolic way of reclaiming autonomy in the face of uncertainty. As Samah says, “Working the land connects us to our roots.” Another form of resistance is leading educational workshops for local girls and women, teaching sustainable agriculture, embroidery, and oral history. Doing so creates an intergenerational bridge between past and future – a living archive of Palestinian identity grounded in place.
Tourism of a Different Kind
Though there are few international visitors, the BWA has reimagined what tourism can look like. Instead of relying on foreign foot traffic, they are developing “heritage tourism from within”, inviting nearby communities, students and domestic visitors to experience Battir’s traditions first-hand. Small-scale events, such as traditional workshops and products continue to bring people together in intimate, meaningful ways. The association also explores digital storytelling, sharing recipes, crafts and virtual tours online to reach a wider audience and promote cultural resilience beyond physical borders, which is part of their project with the UK organisation for orange jam production.
The Battir Women Association is introducing a new model of empowerment that stands as an example of what grassroots resilience can look like in the face of intersecting challenges: political instability, economic hardship, and the fragility of the tourism economy. Rather than waiting for tourists to return, the women of Battir are actively shaping their future by investing in their heritage, environment, and each other.
“Empowerment for us isn’t a word in a project report. It’s how we plant, teach and create, even when the world forgets we’re here.”
As the sun sets over Battir’s timeless hills, casting a golden glow on stone paths and blooming fig trees, it’s clear that something enduring remains. A beauty rooted not only in place but in people – especially the women who keep its spirit alive.
Follow the Battir Women Association’s activities on Facebook.
