Palestinian women brave threats to run in election :: Reuters

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Palestinian women said they had braved ostracism by their families and death threats to run the first all-female slate in municipal elections in the West Bank on Thursday. The five candidates on the list of the left-wing, secular People's Party in the town of Zeita defied Islamic tradition that has restricted most Palestinian women to work at home.
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women have lacked prominent spots on party lists and had little chance of obtaining any positions in case of a victory. "Our aim is not to fight men but to get posts we wouldn't otherwise get if we were on other lists," Kiffayah Tayyem said.

Some Palestinian women say their marginalisation in local councils and a takeover of some municipalities by Hamas could hinder the development of Palestinian towns and villages.