PWWSD organizes Study Circle on Reality and Challenges of Women Political Participation

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development in Nablus hosted on Monday a study circle on the reality and challenges of women’s political participation.

As Suhad Abdelatif, the coordinator for the psych-social program pointed out, the aim of the activity was to share the experiences and prospective of feminist leaders on women’s political participation in the coming period. The session is a continuation of a pervious activity held in Ramallah on women’s status, their social and political role, and the future strategies for women’s mobilization.

Amal Khraishe initiated the debate as she also stressed the importance to conduct similar trainings in order to project a critical prospective of women’s status in Palestine. She stated that any social movement void of political principles is limited and transient. Khraishe explained that politics is not necessarily included within the frames of political parties or the government, but it’s the accumulation of an organized thoroughly-thought effort. She also presented the history of the feminist movement, which was formed amidst the Palestinian national struggle and is representative and inclusive of all Palestinian women inside Palestine and in the Diaspora. Therefore, according to Khraishe, the genuine principles of the feminist movement must be restored through feminist groups and unions, which have originally earned their credibility and reliability by representing women’s daily hurt and pains.

Khraishe also talked about women’s participation in the Palestinian Agreement, as she presented a position paper on the topic.

PWWSD organizes Study Circle on Reality and Challenges of Women Political Participation

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development in Nablus hosted on Monday a study circle on the reality and challenges of women’s political participation.

As Suhad Abdelatif, the coordinator for the psych-social program pointed out, the aim of the activity was to share the experiences and prospective of feminist leaders on women’s political participation in the coming period. The session is a continuation of a previous activity held in Ramallah on women’s status, their social and political role, and the future strategies for women’s mobilization.

Amal Khraishe initiated the debate as she also stressed the importance to conduct similar trainings in order to project a critical prospective of women’s status in Palestine. She stated that any social movement void of political principles is limited and transient. Khraishe explained that politics is not necessarily included within the frames of political parties or the government, but it’s the accumulation of an organized thoroughly-thought effort. She also presented the history of the feminist movement, which was formed amidst the Palestinian national struggle and is representative and inclusive of all Palestinian women inside Palestine and in the Diaspora.

PWWSD denounces Continuing Israeli Offensive on Gaza and demands Urgent International Intervention

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development denounces the increasing Israeli attack on Gaza, and the continuous atrocious violations of international human rights and the IHL.  The attack has resulted in the loss of many innocent lives, many of which were children and women.

PWWSD condemns the last offensive, which serves the Israeli attempts of marginalization and effacement, and the continuing jewisation of Jerusalem, in addition to building new settlement units on Palestinian land and the ongoing siege on Gaza.

PWWSD states that the escalating Israeli aggression is an evident breach of the international conventions and the International Declaration of Human Rights, which protect civilians’ rights in times of war and peace. PWWSD adds that what the Israeli occupation is doing is considered a dangerous breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

PWWSD demands the international community to interfere to put an end to Israeli violations, and to force Israel to abide by the IHL, and the international law in the occupied Palestinian Territory, and in Gaza in particular.

PWWSD condemns the international silence towards these violations and demands Israel to be held responsible for its atrocities, based on the International Humanitarian Law. PWWSD calls the human rights organizations and solidarity committees to take action to pressure their governments, in order to end the Israeli attack on Palestinian people.

PWWSD holds Training on Monitoring Local Elections

 

Among the activities of project “Empowering the Right and Role of Rural Women in Local Elections in Palestine”, under the Women’s Empowerment program,

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development conducted training on “how to monitor the local elections” in Tulkarem. The project is funded by the UNDP, in partnership with the Palestinian Central Elections’ Commission.

The training concludes a series of workshops that were implemented in the target locations of Bela, Attil and AlQuds Opened University.

13 women were empowered in topics like active citizenship, the 
importance of elections, the process of elections and monitoring, the legal aspects to the electoral process as well as the characteristics and responsibilities of the monitor.

PWWSD conducts Workshop on Women’s Right to Inheritance and Elections

Cheikh Rebhi Hamadeh from Al-Bireh and Ramallah Judiciary Court, and PWWSD’s civic educator Naela Oudeh and lawyer Fadwa Thweib conducted two workshops on women’s right to inheritance in Kufur Ein and Mazare Noubani in Ramallah.

The workshops were hosted by Kufur Ein’s Feminist Center and Rural Women’s Center of Mazare Noubani. Tens of men and women attended these workshops that come under the Inheritance Denied project, which is being implemented by the PWWSD, in cooperation with the Danish Church Aid (DCA) and the YMCA and the Women’s Affairs’ Center in Gaza, and is funded by the EU.

Cheikh Rebhi Hamadeh talked about women’s right to inheritance from religious and judiciary perspectives, and about the importance of giving women their rights that are protected by Islam.

Naela Odeh emphasized the need to give women their right to inheritance. She talked about PWWSD’s efforts on this issue, attempting to alter the negative stereotypical images of women.

In Houssan’s Feminist Center, civic educators Wejdan AlAzzeh and Rula Shwieki held two meetings on marital relationships, and safe sex between spouses, and the effects on children. The meetings also tackled issues like citizenship, and elections. Shweiki listened to women’s interventions, which emphasized healthy and safe intercourses, and the positive effects this will leave on the family.

Wejdan AlAzzeh talked about citizenship and elections and the important role of women as voters and candidates.

PWWSD conducts Hearing Session “Exiled Women in their Lands and Homeland”

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development conducted a hearing session entitled: “Exiled Women in their Lands and Homeland”, which hosted a group of women from the village of Nazlit Issa in Tulkarem, whose life is extremely affected by the Israeli Apartheid Wall. A similar session was conducted in the village of Jebara, in order to document the violations committed against women by the Israel occupation.

Participating women presented the problems they face due to the Separation Wall, and the daily pressure they undergo. The occupation authorities allow access through a gate in the Wall only on limited hours. Thus, residents of these villages have a limited time to leave and return to their houses. Many women explained how the Wall separates between families, those who were annexed behind the Wall, and others who were left outside. In addition, they talked about the lack of access to services like nurseries, medical centers and schools.

Women also talked about a lot of social and psychological pressures they face. In conclusion of the session that was moderated by Rana Khoury and Anica Filnsberg, the media coordinator at KtK, women recommended the establishment of entertainment places for children, and the implementation of debriefing activities for women. They also invited the Palestinian social institutions to the harmed villages behind the wall, to document live testimonies on peoples’ suffering.

PWWSD concludes Annual Youth Summer Camp in Nablus.

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development concluded the annual Youth camp at its office in Nablus on Wednesday. The camp targeted 50 university students from different academic backgrounds. Skilled trainers supervised the camp, which tackled many issues that should assist the participants in their daily life. Of the issues that were discussed were elections, the international law and media skills, in addition to lobbying and advocacy skills and documentation of violations.

Project’s coordinator Mayssara Sadeldine said that the project aims to encourage the youth to participate in the public life. It also aims to build their capacities and personal skills.  The series of activities  will develop the youngsters’ abilities and encourage them to volunteer, as it will also promote their role in society.

Maysara added that the theoretical part of these activities will be initiated through giving the participants the task to document violations against human rights. The participants will take responsibility to write field reports, and news about the Nakba and the Nakssa.

Montasser, one of the participants said that the topics that were discussed in the camp built the youth’s awareness, and encouraged cooperation between civil society institutions.

PWWSD concludes “Promoting the Rule of Law and Access to Justice for Vulnerable Women”

The Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development concluded project “Promoting the Rule of Law and Access to Justice for vulnerable women” on Tuesday. The one-year project, funded by the UNDP, was implemented by the PWWSD in 28 locations in 6 governorates (Jenin, Tulkarem, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem). The project’s coordinator Issa Shatleh said that the project aimed to: empower women by promoting their access to legal and justice resources. The project also aimed to increase marginalized women’s access to legal aid, and to pressure the duty-bearers to fulfill their moral and legal responsibility towards women and their rights. The media campaign included posters, hearing sessions, TV and radio spots, stickers and dialogues and debates with decision-makers.

The project consisted of three focal activities: 1) launching an awareness campaign which aimed to build the capacities of a group of female lawyers on women’s right to access legal and justice resources. 2) Adult educational activities implemented by the lawyers which included lectures, workshops, film screenings, open-panels, in addition to utilizing social media. 3) Providing legal consultations; representing women before the courts, providing legal consultations through the open-line, referring cases to partner organizations, lobbying duty-bearers to promote women’s rights and to criminalize breaching women’s rights, and finally building women’s leadership capacities in lobbying and advocacy.

The project achieved many results: the formation of a reference committee of the lawyers who participated in the project, in addition to experts in women’s rights. 16 lawyers were chosen for the lawyers’ training. Moreover, 22 participants joined training in cooperation with the Police Department (12 police members from the Family Unit, in addition to 10 lawyers).  114 education activities were conducted for women in the project’s locations. The total number of beneficiaries reached 412 women. 30 educational activities were conducted on women’s labor rights, which 78 working women jointed. 233 legal consultations were given and 129 women benefited from them.

32 women were represented before the courts, and an open-line was launched to provide legal consultations for women. 43 women benefited from the capacity building trainings in lobbying and advocacy, as they participated in 50-hour training in Nablus and Ramallah.

The media campaign “Divorced Women’s Rights to Housing” reached out to 3000 women. Signatures are still being collected for the memo regarding women’s rights to housing, until the date to submit it to president Mahmoud Abbas.

The projects’ implementers, according to coordinator’s assistant Nemeh Assaf concluded the following: many women are unaware of their legal rights and legal statements. They are unaware of the courts locations, especially judiciary courts. Many women are unaware of how to claim their legal rights, while others desperately need legal help. Many women need psychological counseling and empowerment in order to stand up for their rights in cases of (custody, and divorce for example).

PWWSD finalizes training for civic education students in Al-Quds Opened University and UN Women’s College

The psycho-social program at the Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development in Ramallah finalized a training in psycho-social counseling for 16 students of civic education in Al-Quds Opened University and the UN Women’s College.  The training, which was held in the PWWSD, lasted 4 months, with the average of 3 hours per week.

The training addressed university juniors and seniors. It aimed to train them in theoretical and practical psycho-social skills, and to build their capacities in order to equip them to join the labor market.

Councilors Khitam Zahran and Alaa’ Knais from the PWWSD supervised the training.