Speed Sisters: Racing Cars through Cultural Walls
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When you think of Palestine, it is easy to think about danger and limitations. Under occupation, the State of Palestine is suffering from the impact of protracted conflict, great restrictions to the freedom of mobility and intense economic hardship. So, when five Palestinian young women decided to form an all-women car racing team, So, when five Palestinian young women decided to form an all-women car racing team, it broke common perception and brought a puff of fresh air and quickly turned into an international sensation.
It started in 2010 when the Palestinian Racing Federation encouraged women to take part in the local tournaments. When the number of women racers came up to 5, they organized a training for them in partnership with the British Consulate. Soon, the “Speed Sisters” team was born.
Fearing her family’s reaction, Maysoon Jayyusi, the team leader, participated in her first race without informing them. The Speed Sisters made headlines the next morning.
“My father’s friends showed him the photos in the newspaper the next day, that is how he found out,” Maysoon said, “when he saw I was safe and I explained it is not as dangerous as he thinks it is, he was alright with it.”
Since then, their families grew more and more supportive. Because of the harsh economic conditions, they can’t afford equipped racing cars. Instead, they make changes to their normal cars so they can race. The father and brother of Marah, another team member, once exchanged the back glass windshield of her car to plastic to make the car lighter and better fitted for Marah’s drifting.
Since they started racing, Maysoon says women attendance of the races grew. In 2015, a documentary was released about them made by Canadian film maker Amber Fares which won Audience Award at the Irish Film Institute Festival.
As the team grows, the crew continues to race alongside men in national, regional and sometimes international arenas.
It has not been easy. Training in deserted roads could be dangerous in such a volatile environment. They also had to make difficult sacrifices. In an interview with All Points Project in 2015, Marah said she was engaged when she joined the team. Her fiancé gave her a choice between their engagement and racing.
“I chose my races”, Marah said.
For the crew, challenging the stereotypes of their own male-dominated society was of equal importance to changing the stereotypes of other communities about Palestinian women.
“It is an honor to be able to see the reaction of women from around the world when our film is screened- to know we change their ideas about the Palestinian society, and proved we love life and that we can put a smile of hope and represent a bright face for Arab and Palestinian women,” Maysoon said.
Now when they race around the Arab Region, young women come up to them and thank them for the inspiration.
“With our sport, we are sending a message to all Arab women that if they have ambitions, they can do whatever they want. Sportswomen should never hesitate in doing what they love,” Maysoon stressed.
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