“As a Bedouin Palestinian from the desert town of Laqiya, Israel, Alh’jooj knows firsthand what it means to fight for the right of personhood, and to do it from an intersectional standpoint. Born decades into the aftermath of the Nakba, Alh’jooj overcame countless barriers to eventually obtain a PhD in Social Work at McGill, and went on to establish several grassroots organizations in order to effect change in the Global South.

The sexism Alh’jooj discusses in her memoir is overt, and she does not gloss over the harsh realities of injustice and poor quality of life faced by Bedouin women in Laqiya, issues such as restricted social mobility, domestic violence, and femicide. The importance of women’s education is a core theme, and it was actually Alh’jooj’s eldest sister who broke new ground as “the first woman in [their] village to complete a college degree and the first to drive her own car. Until then, people … didn’t understand that her education paved the way for material gain.”… Told with courage, softened with humour, and delivered with refreshing candour, Hope is a Woman’s Name is a poignant collection of personal essays presented in narrative form and weaved with academic discourse. Alh’jooj’s memoir serves to educate, inspire, and provide nuance to complex sociopolitical issues, advocating for education and women’s rights in speaking truth to power – as well as the powerless – and then taking action.”

Montreal Review of Books (MRB)

The conversation with Amal The conversation is part of Vancouver Rape Relief’s Montreal Massacre Memorial 2025.