Underemployment Versus Relocation: Coping Mechanisms of Palestinian Women in Israel with Patriarchal and Spatial Impositions

Abstract Over the past decade, rates of Palestinian women in Israel with an academic degree have increased. However, the corresponding increase in their rate of employment has been slower, and the paucity of suitable positions is evident. The aim of the present, qualitative study was to gain insight into the barriers that educated Palestinian women face in finding employment suitable for their training, the coping mechanisms they employ in their attempt to overcome these barriers, and factors that contribute to the selection of these coping mechanisms. Towards that aim, educated Palestinian women residing in northern Israel (n = 17) and ones who relocated to southern Israel for employment purposes (n = 42) were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed three coping mechanisms with the shortage of suitable employment: underemployment, retraining, and relocation to southern Israel for employment. This study may help policymakers find ways to increase the percentage of Palestinian women working in their field of training.