The Yasser Arafat Foundation, represented by its Board of Trustees, management, and all staff members, mourns the passing of its honorary board member, Salwa Abu Khadra, who passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Amman, Jordan. She dedicated her life to humanitarian and national causes, serving her Palestinian people, the Arab nation, and humanity.
The Foundation extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, relatives, friends, and all those who loved her. We pray that she rests in peace and that her family finds comfort and solace during this difficult time.
About Salwa Abu Khadra
Born in Jaffa in 1929, Salwa Abu Khadra was a distinguished educator and national activist. She graduated from the French Literature Department of the Mar Youssef School in 1945 and obtained a postgraduate diploma in French literature from the Jesuit College in Beirut in 1952.
Her career included significant contributions to Palestinian society, particularly in education and women’s rights. She volunteered at the Juvenile Protection Center in Damascus from 1952 to 1955 and later served as the director of the UNRWA primary education center in Gaza from 1955 to 1957.
In 1963, she founded the pioneering Dar Al-Hanan Nursery in Kuwait and later established Dar Al-Hanan School, which offered education at primary, middle, and secondary levels. She joined the Fatah Movement in 1965 and became a member of its Revolutionary Council in 1985.
Salwa was also a founding member of the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) in 1967 and served as its Secretary-General from 1985. She was a member of the Palestine National Council (1969) and the Palestinian Central Council (1972) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Throughout her life, she represented Palestine at numerous national, Arab, regional, and global conferences, advocating for political, educational, and humanitarian causes and women's and children's rights. Salwa also held several prominent positions, including General Secretary of the General Union of Palestinian Women, Fatah’s Revolutionary Council member, and Vice Secretary-General of the General Arab Women’s Union.
Her legacy inspires all who continue to work for justice and equality.
