“Rap is not for girls; you only belong in the kitchen”, a quote that has always bombarded Nadeen Odeh, Dialah Shaheen, and Dalia Ramadanthe, the three Palestinian refugee girls residing in Dheisha Camp in Bethlehem and who have created a space for expression and empowerment for young Palestinian female voices through their rap group Ettijah.
In 2012, the rap group was birthed from a one-year project by a nonprofit organization called Shorouq which is run by Palestinian refugees living in the camp. The organization tackles political, historical, moral, cultural, and socio-economic problems faced by refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories and Palestinians in the diaspora. Ettijah name is referred to “direction” as it symbolizes the mission to achieve women’s freedom as well as Palestinian refugees’ right to return. As for the songs, they are inspired by the struggles of living in a refugee camp and the oppression they face both by the Israeli occupation and the patriarchal society.
“In the beginning, we were 12 girls. However, some left due to social pressure and patriarchal norms they were exposed to, and perhaps their parents were not supportive,” Odeh told Kayani Project.
Despite the intolerance they faced by the community, the three girls decided to continue expressing themselves through rap. As they bring attention to the dilemma they face in their battle for freedom, they hope to make a transformation in society.
Recently, the girls dropped an album called “The Journey” which includes seven songs that tackle the restrictions imposed on them by the occupation. Some of the songs are called “I desire to dream”, “Without limits”, and “From the inside I am free”. Many of these songs are inspired by daily sightings and challenges they encounter in the camp, such as catcalling and the double oppression they face.
The band got the opportunity to go on a tour in the United States, France, and Italy. Throughout the tour, they performed, participated in workshops, and advocated for Palestinian rights.
“It was a great opportunity which broadened my horizons and brought to my attention that the life we are living in the camp is not even close to the life outside this camp,” Odeh said.
Rap has given the girls a creative output to voice out their struggles and acquire a strong fearless identity in a society struggling with patriarchy. However, refugees living in the camp continue to face water and electricity shortages as well as living in a highly densely populated small area that does not give them the space to express themselves.
Despite all the odds, the girls are now running a training project for young girls in the camp, where they have established a safe space for them to express the turmoil inside of them and break the barriers as well as the stereotypes via launching and recording a rap song. The band will be dropping a new song with a video clip next month called “Dirsm El-Qahweh”.
Check out their work on social media:
Instagram: Ettijah.band
Youtube: Shoruq Organization, Etijah band playlist