American Palestinian Women’s Association (APWA) is a left-of-center pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protest group based in Herndon, Virginia. It is an organization of women who seek to advocate for Palestinian refugees and promote Palestinian culture and identity in North America. ¹

The group advances left-of-center perspectives on feminism, anti-racism, and the pro-Palestinian movement in America, although it claims to be non-political and non-religious. ^{2 3}

Initiatives and Protests

In addition to raising money for Palestinian refugees through its Gaza Emergency Fund, the American Palestinian Women’s Association (APWA) has several charitable initiatives both abroad and domestically, all in support of Palestinians and Palestinian Americans. ⁴ APWA also hosts an annual celebration of International Women’s Day, which in 2024 was titled, “We Will Rise.” The performance included artistic displays of pro-Palestinian activism through the media of poetry and dance. ⁵

In November 2023, APWA members interrupted a U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. The protestors painted their hands red and claimed to be protesting genocide in Gaza. ⁶ APWA also organized the November 16, 2023, and December 6, 2023, demonstrations in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. ^{7 8 9}

Partner Organizations

The American Palestinian Women’s Association has partnered with CODEPINK to organize and implement pro-Palestinian, feminist protests that call for a ceasefire in Gaza. CODEPINK is a left-wing, anti-Israel group that supports Palestinian advocacy, among its other oppositions to U.S. foreign policy. It supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel by isolating the country economically through consumer boycotts, business and government withdrawal of investment, and legal sanctions. ¹⁰

In November and December of 2023, APWA and CODEPINK orchestrated two demonstrations that included visiting U.S. Senate offices to demand United States lawmakers support a ceasefire in Gaza. Protesters used symbolic babies and dolls and bloody sheets as visual aids to represent what they consider to be genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. ¹¹

Leadership

Mona Sadeq has been the president and executive director of the American Palestinian Women’s Association since 2020. She received a bachelor’s degree from Lebanese American University in 1980 and a master’s in public administration from George Mason University in 2002. She has experience working for private and public sectors in finance and accounting and has been involved in nonprofit management. In 2015, she helped co-found the National Arab American Women’s Association. She is a current board member of the Muslim Women’s Association, and she is a current Virginia Team Leader for Arab America Foundation. In 2022, she was named the Most Valuable Person by the Arab America Foundation. ^{12 13}

Amal Garada is the vice president and treasurer of the American Palestinian Women’s Association. She received a bachelor’s in education from Kuwait University in 1980 and a masters in political management at George Washington University in 2023. Garada has teaching experience in Arabic linguistics. Garada was a member of APWA’s executive directors from 2002-2007. Her volunteer work is recognized by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and by the Arab America Foundation. ¹⁴

1. About Us. American Palestinian Women’s Association. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://apwausa.org/about-us
2.  Education 2018. Information Age Publishing. 2018. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://www.infoagepub.com/assets/files/catalogs/ed-cat-2018.pdf
3. About Us. American Palestinian Women’s Association. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://apwausa.org/about-us
4. Our Impacts. American Palestinian Women’s Association. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://apwausa.org/our-impacts
5. Audeh, Ida. “A Celebration of Palestinian Resilience.” Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs. March 19, 2024. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://www.wrmea.org/north-america/a-celebration-of-palestinian-resilience.html
6. @codepinkalert. TikTok. November 8, 2023. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://www.tiktok.com/@codepinkalert/video/7299212147333008686
7. Greene, Jay P. and Kingsbury, Ian. “Bad Medicine: A wave of open Jew-hatred by medical professionals, medical schools, and professional associations in the wake of the Hamas slaughter suggests that a field entrusted with healing is becoming a licensed purveyor of hatred.” Tablet Magazine. November 21, 2023. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/antisemitism-medical-institutions
8. Papp, Justin. “Protesters calling for cease-fire in Gaza keep up drumbeat on Capitol Hill.” Roll Call. November 16, 2023. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://rollcall.com/2023/11/16/protesters-calling-for-cease-fire-in-gaza-keep-up-drumbeat-on-capitol-hill/
9. “100 Pro-Palestine Advocates to Portray Humanitarian Crisis in U.S. Senate.” CODEPINK. Accessed December 4, 2023. September 8, 2024. https://www.codepink.org/senateactiondec6
10. BDS Tookit, CODEPINK. Accessed September 27, 2024. https://www.codepink.org/bdstoolkit
11. “Palestinian Women Urge Female Senators to Call for Ceasefire.” CODEPINK. November 15, 2023. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://www.codepink.org/palwomensenate
12. Team. American Palestinian Women’s Association. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://apwausa.org/team
13. “100 Pro-Palestine Advocates to Portray Humanitarian Crisis in U.S. Senate.” CODEPINK. Accessed December 4, 2023. September 8, 2024. https://www.codepink.org/senateactiondec6
14. Team. American Palestinian Women’s Association. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://apwausa.org/team