National Women’s Studies Association votes to support BDS

The National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) announced the results of its vote on a resolution in support of the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement (BDS) on November 27.

As reported on NWSA’s website, 88.4 percent (653 individuals) voted in favor of the BDS recommendation.

The recommendation was the direct result of a previous solidarity statement from the NWSA 2014 national conference, where nearly 800 participants signed a petition calling for the organization to declare its support for BDS.

Developed by the Feminists for Justice in/for Palestine (FJP), the recommendation read, “As feminist activists, scholars, teachers, and public intellectuals who recognize the interconnectedness of systemic forms of oppression, we cannot overlook the injustice and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, perpetrated against Palestinians.”

FJP is an ad-hoc group of the NWSA and will oversee all matters related to the recommendation.

The NWSA joins a growing number of academic organizations to endorse BDS, including the American Anthropological Association.