Educational Workshops to advocate Women's Participation in the Local Elections

The Women Empowerment Program at the Palestinian Working Woman Organization for Development implemented various educational workshops under the title of "Women and the Local Authorities Elections", in coordination with the Feminist Centre in Balata, Al-Ishrak Society in Bet Foureek, the Centre of Woman Affairs in Al-Makhfeye,  and feminist committees in the Old City and Rafidia. The workshops explored women's preparations for the expected elections next September.

The social worker Subheyye Daraghmeh talked about the importance of the elections, and its role in promoting a democratic society. She also explored the effective role women play in the decision-making circles, in relation to improving their living conditions, creating a direct contact with them in order to express their needs, and how their lives were influenced by the projects implemented by the local authorities.

A debate started on the importance of women's participation in the local authorities, consequently their contribution in changing the stereotypical image of Palestinian women, and restructuring the social roles in the Palestinian society in a just manner that promotes the concepts of positive citizenship and democracy in our society. The participants touched upon various issues including the previous participation of women in the local authorities' elections, the law of the local authorities' elections, and women's representation in these authorities. Additionally, the obstacles and challenges were discussed to stress the need to support women's political and social participation in the civil society, as well as the methods and procedures of effective participation in the development processes, and the decision-making circles. Effective participation is achieved through setting plans, and lobbying pressure groups to influence the special committees to adopt women's issues, in order to overturn the stereotypical image of women, which is still apparent in our society, and within the political parties, and was clearly reflected in many previous experiences.

Daraghmeh stressed the need for women's participation in the local elections in order to increase their involvement in different aspects of life, whether on the political or the professional level.

The political participation of women is a legal right, and a priority in the Palestinian community which equalizes between the two genders in its developmental policies as it perceives women as complete human beings, and that will help transcend the Palestinian society to a new stage based on social justice and gender equality.

Daraghmeh tackled the chart which was developed with the coordination of the Women Affairs Staff and the political parties, which urges different sides to support women to be in the electoral lists. Participants stressed the importance of advocating women and their effective participation in the local elections, and to reevaluate the policies and procedures of the various feminist activities and the political parties, and to analyze the current conditions in order to implement policies which will assist more women to run for local authorities, and to promote their participation in planning and developing the service policies and projects. Therefore promote women's effective role in the political and economical life, as well as the professional and democratic, according to the Palestinian law.