Intissar al-Wazir ( ar, انتصار الوزير) (1941-) (also known as ''Umm Jihad'' أم جهاد) is a member of the

Palestinian Legislative Council The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is the unicameral legislature of the Palestinian Authority, elected by the Palestinian residents of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It currently comprises 132 members, e ...

and a former PNA minister. Her husband was Khalil al-Wazir, a senior figure of the

Palestine Liberation Organization The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...

who was assassinated by Israel in 1988. She joined the

Fatah Fatah ( ar, فتح '), formerly the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, is a Palestinian nationalist social democratic political party and the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and ...

organization in 1959, becoming the party’s first female member. She has a bachelor's degree in history from Damascus University.

Biography

Al-Wazir was born in

Gaza City Gaza (;''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998), , p. 761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory in Palestine, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza...". ar, غَزَّة ', ), also referred to as Gaza City, i ...

. She helped found the General Union of Palestinian Women, an organization that focuses on the social, economic and legal status of Palestinian women. She has been a member of the

Palestinian National Council The Palestinian National Council (PNC) ( ar, المجلس الوطني الفلسطيني, "'Almajlis Alwataniu Alfilastiniu"') is the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and elects the PLO Executive Committee, which ...

since 1974 and a member of the Fatah-Central Committee since 1987. She was the Secretary-General of the General Union of Palestinian Women from 1980–85. In 1983, she served as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Fatah-Revolutionary Council. During Khalil al-wazir (Abu Jihad's) exile, Intissar lived with him for 30 years although she was not under exile. She returned to the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

in 1995 and was elected to the PLC in 1996. From 1995 to 2005 she was Social Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority.

Sources and external links

Palestinian National Authority: Biography of PA Cabinet Intisar al-Wazir - Minister of Social Affairs

1941 births Living people Fatah members People from Gaza City Palestine Liberation Organization members Government ministers of the Palestinian National Authority Palestinian women in politics Members of the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council Members of the 1996 Palestinian Legislative Council Women government ministers of the Palestinian National Authority Central Committee of Fatah members {{Palestine-bio-stub