Jarrar has been a human rights activist for many years. Her first of several arrests began on 8 March 1989 when she was detained for participating in a demonstration on International Women’s Day. She has been active for a number of years in support of Palestinian prisoners, and she served as the director of Addameer, a Prisoners' Support and Human Rights NGO in Ramallah from 1993 to 2005 and remains a board member. She has also previously worked with UNRWA and has been prominently active in working with Palestinian women and advocating for women's rights.