Gaza still under Fire

Today marks the 3^rd anniversary of the Israeli ground offensive on Gaza strip, in what is known as the Cast Lead operation. Three years a peaceful morning in Gaza extended to a month of horror and fear. In 2008 Israel attacked the strip on ground, by air and sea. While the Israeli tanks were invading the northern borders of the Strip, the Israeli F16 fighter planes were randomly firing at any moving object on ground. The sea that once brought rescue ships to break the curfew that was enforced upon Gaza since 2006, carried killing vessels that targeted the Palestinian coast, and murdered a whole family in the first few days. Over 1200 Palestinians were killed and thousands fled their houses seeking refuge in safer yet not safe areas. Over a million and a half Palestinians lived in lethal terror for a month, just around Christmas time, when the messenger of peace was born thousands of years ago, perhaps under a different type of attack.

As if history repeats itself, Israel played the same scenario of Beirut in 1982. The world too occupied with the Fifa World Cup, the Arabs too busy supporting the Algerian National Football team, while Beirut burnt in flames. However, months after, condemnations and denunciations started to pour on the Israeli government, and Beirut breathed and survived. This time, Israel had the right to defend itself against low-ranged basic missiles, with unlawful white phosphorus bombs, an army of tanks, fighter planes, tens of gunboats. Number of casualties was huge, but apparently incomparable to one Israeli’s trauma and fear.  Gaza horribly damaged but breathed and survived, despite the ongoing siege and the Israeli regular harassments. Today Gazans build and reconstruct their homes. They still live by the sea which once brought death, but will also bring hope and solidarity.

On the 3^rd anniversary of Cast Lead, we at the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development call upon the Palestinian parties to reach to an agreement, in order to end the Palestinian internal conflict, and lead the Palestinians to a democratic and independent state. We also call upon all governments and human rights organizations to put huge efforts to force Israel to abide by the International Law and Legitimacy. We demand an end to the siege that is imposed on Gaza, and to the continuing Israeli violations against Palestinian citizens.

For more details on Cast Lead, we invite you to read a study conducted by PWWSD in 2009

Violation of Israeli occupation forces to women and children’s rights during the attacks of “Casting Bullet” over the Gaza Strip in 27\12\2008 – 19\1\2009

PWWSD helds workshop on Importance of Social Protection Strategies

The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development conducted a workshop on social protection on Tuesday 20^th 2011. In cooperation with Solidar and IFWA, the PWWSD hosted many women participants, secretaries, kindergartens workers and unionists from 7 villages in Ramallah, as well as many other unemployed women.

The participants discussed the social protection report conducted by the PWWSD on women’s conditions in Gaza. The report explores the reality of women who work in houses, kindergartens, sewing and embroidery, in addition to hairdressers. The report documents the types of harassment these women face in their work, including low wages, lack of legal protection, and the weak unionist role to protect their rights. The report points out to:

1.      The need to advocate the Ministry of Labor, in order to:

1. Activate the articles in the law of labor concerning minimum wages, and the role of control and inspection unit at the Ministry.
2. Reinforce the legal authority in order to resolve the workers’ cases brought before the court
3. Integrate the issue of social protection within the government’s strategy for development, and allocate appropriate budgets
4. Consider household chores productive and part of the GPA therefore exert protection policies for household women.
5. Reinforce labor unions’ role and represent then within the decision-making circles

After a thorough discussion of the report, unionist Naela Oudeh, talked about the importance of implementing the law of labor, and enforcing a social insurance system for working women, in order to guard them against unemployment, poverty and to guarantee a healthy life for them. Moreover, Naela emphasized unionist work as a tool to achieve more rights for working women, regarding the low wages, the maternity leaves and the annual holidays.

Afterward, Ms. Amal Khreishe explained the concept of social protection as a core pillar of decent work. According to Khreishe social protection is based on the basic rights and concepts of the ILO, and the basic Palestinian law for 2000. It is also based on the right to work, and principals of social dialogue. Therefore, social protection requires a developmental vision achieved through a set of procedures, policies and budgets in order to guarantee decent working conditions for working people, which are based on cooperation and a just distribution of profits.  

Khreishe added that social protection is a fundamental component of the social economic rights system, which obliges the PA to implement strategic interventions based on the concepts of human rights in order to achieve a comprehensive development. Consequently, this approach will reinforce the resilience of the Palestinian people and establishes the ground for social security. In addition, it will also help put an end to the impoverishment policy and the systematic deconstruction of the Palestinian social fabric by the Israeli Occupation. In order to stand up against the Israeli violations against Palestinian citizens and economy, we are obliged to:

1. Draw policies to found and activate the funds aimed to protect workers, and apply the law of labor
2. Develop programs for social insurances to deal with unemployment, poverty, sickness, aging and retirement.
3. Develop protection strategies for working women in the informal economic sector, as well as in the household chores and the maternal roles.
4. Establish a fund to support the education of workers’ children

Khreishe also pointed out the Palestinian legal environment and the Palestinian economy that is annexed to the Israeli economy due to a reality created by the Israeli Occupation, and the imposition of the Paris economic agreement. She elaborated on working women’s professional experience regarding wrongful discharge, low wages that fluctuate between 200 – 600 for hairdressers, and lack of health insurances.  In addition, the General Director of the PWWSD Mrs. Khreishe talked about the delays in signing contracts with working women. Therefore, the labor unions have to increase efforts to support these women, and to pressure the Ministry of Labor to agree on a minimum rate for wages. The unions have the responsibility to develop a set of social protection systems for the women who work in sectors excluded from any official legal protection. In addition, they have to pressure for new modifications to the Palestinian law of labor, and for the reactivation of the social insurance law.

بيان صادر عن عدة مؤسسات نسوية مصرية حول أحداث القصر العيني

جرائمكم لا تمر بدون محاسبة  ولا ترهب النساء

 تداولت وسائل الإعلام المختلفة و موقعالتواصل الاجتماعي " الفيس بوك"  مجموعة فيديوها من بينها فيديو يتعلق بقيام جنود" الشرطة العسكرية " بالاعتداء على فتاة منتقبة وخلع النقاب عن وجهها وتعريه جسدها وسحلها وضربها بالبيادة في أجزاء من جسدها، أيضا فيديو أخر يكشفالاعتداء على سيدة عجوز تم جذبها من شعرها وضربها بعصا جنود" الشرطة العسكرية"،فضلا عن اعتقال عدد من الشابات و الاعتداء عليهن بالضرب ومنهن من يرقدن حاليا فيالمستشفي و حالتهن الصحية متدهورة وتعرضن للتحرش الجنسي و التهديد بالاغتصاب و منبينهن عبير سعيد محمد مصطفى - سمر محمد سعد ابو المعاطى - سارة على محمد السيد - يسرا صلاح عبيد متولى- رشا خالد جاد عبدالموجود - مروة سيد سيف الدين "  المستشفى"- نعمة على سعيد مسلم-" المستشفى" - هند نافع بدوى-" المستشفى"- هدير فاروق عبد العزيز " المستشفى" 

 تأتي هذه الاعتداءات في سياق أعمال العنف التي ترتكبها قوات من " الشرطة العسكرية "من اجل فض اعتصام مجلس الوزراء بالقوة  

 تعيد هذه الوقائع إلى الأذهان أحداثالاعتداء السافر على الناشطات السياسيات و الصحفيات أمام نقابتي الصحفيينوالمحامين يوم الاستفتاء على التعديلات الدستورية بتاريخ 25 مايو 2005 و أيضا ماحدث مع الفتيات أثناء فض اعتصام التحرير بالقوة في 9 مارس 2011 و تعرضت الفتياتاللائي تم اعتقالهن إلى ما يسمي ب" كشف العذرية" 

 يتأكد مجددا استمرار نفس السياساتالقمعية ومنها استهداف أجساد النساء  إلىأن يصل الأمر إلى هتك عرضهن من اجل كسر إرادتهن و أضعاف قدرتهن على المقاومة هنومن معهم من الرجال وغيرها من  الجرائمالتي كان يرتكبها النظام السابق من اجل فض المظاهرات والاعتصامات السلمية بالقوة

      بناء علية تعرب المنظمات الموقعة أدناهعن أدانتها ورفضها الكامل لكل أشكال القمع التي تعرض لها المعتصمون ( رجال –نساء)  أمام مجلس الوزراءوتطالب :

1. وقف جميع أشكال العنف التي ترتكب ضد المعتصمين ( رجال ونساء) 
2. إجراء تحقيق عادل و فوري من قبل هيئة قضائية مستقلة، و تتخذ جميع الإجراءات اللازمة ضدكل من تثبت إدانته في ارتكاب هذه الجرائم ومحاسبته

  تؤكد المنظمات الموقع أدناه على أن هذه الممارسات القمعية لا تثن الثوار (رجال ونساء) عن المضي قدما واستمرا ر النضال من اجل تحقيق مطالب الثورة "الحرية و الكرامة والعدالة الاجتماعية"     

المنظمات الموقعة على البيان:

• قوة عمل مناهضة العنف الجنسي 
• تحالف المنظمات النسوية 
• ائتلاف سيداو مصر 
• الجمعية المصرية للنهوض بالمشاركة المجتمعية  
• المبادرة المصرية للحقوق الشخصية 
• المكتب العربى للقانون 
• المؤسسة العربية لدعمالمجتمع المدني وحقوق الانسان 
• المؤسسة المصرية لتنميةالاسرة 
• جمعية امى للحقوق والتنمية 
• جمعية السواحلية لتنمية المجتمع 
• جمعية بورفؤاد لرعاية الاسرة والطفولة 
• جمعية كلمتنا للحوار والتنمية 
• مبادرون لدعم التنمية الثقافية والاعلام 
• مركز الجنوب لحقوق الانسان 
• مركز الشهيد للدفاع عن الحقوق 
• مركز القاهرة للتمية 
• مركز وسائل الاتصالالملائمة من اجل التنمية " اكت" 
• ملتقي تنمية المراة 
• مؤسسة المرأة الجديدة  
• مؤسسة المرأة والذاكرة 
• مؤسسة حلوان لتنمية المجتمع ( بشاير) 
• مؤسسة سهم الثقة 
• مؤسسة قضايا المرأة المصرية 
• نظرة للدراسات النسوية

أحداث القصر العيني

PWWSD Sincerely offers Condolences to Al-Tamimi Family

The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development offered its condolences to the family of martyr Mustapha Abdelrazik Tamimi, who died on Saturday, due to a critical injury in the face. An Israeli soldier fired a tear-gas canister at Tamimi at short distance on Friday during the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh, against the Separation Wall and the continuing colonization of the Nabi Saleh's lands. A group of feminist activists, headed by Mrs. Amal Khreishe visited the house of the bereaved and met with his family. 

To read full story by Lina Saafine:

No Miracle Yesterday in Nabi Saleh 

PWWSD submits Letter to Prime Minister to apply CEDAW in Palestinian Laws

The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development submitted a letter to the Palestinian PM Dr. Salam Fayad, in which the organization applauds the role of the government and the pioneer economic, political and social accomplishments. PWWSD, which organized a demonstration in front of the Palestinian cabinet, called the PM to push for the activation of the presidential decrees endorsing CEDAW and UNSCR1325, and to take serious measures in this regard. 

PWWSD also demanded the government to provide full protection for Palestinian women from violence and violence perpetrators. Amal Khreishe, the general director of the PWWSD delivered the letter to Mr. Jamal Zakout, the deputy of PM Dr. Salam Fayad, and urged him to allocate more budgets to protect women from violence, pointing out that the demonstration aims to encourage the government to apply CEDAW in the Palestinian legislation and laws. 

Zakout demonstrated his support for the women’s demands expressed in the letter, and stressed that these demands are just, and that the government will work hard to achieve them. He also called all the feminist forces to join efforts to achieve the rights of Palestinian women.

PWWSD organizes Workshop on Women’s Political Participation and Combating VAW

The Women Empowerment program in Gaza conducted several workshops in Khanyouness and Khaza’a, in which the civic educator Hanan Syam focused on violence practiced against women. Ms. Hanan Syam accentuated that women’s political participation whether by running for elections or voting, is essential to reinforcing their position in the public life. The workshop aimed to educate women and build their capacities, in order to empower their role in society.   

Syam thoroughly discussed the issue of violence against women. She explored multiple cases of violated women, as she also introduced the definition of violence, its forms and the possible ways to combat it. Violence against women is part of a cause-and-effect chain of societal violence; the husband violates his wife and children, therefore the mother releases her anger upon her children; the boss violates the worker; the rich the poor; and the Israeli occupation oppresses all. In this regard, Syam talked about the laws which protect women and secure their rights. However, she urged the duty bearers to modify the applied laws in the Palestinian Territory to become in favor of women. She advised violated women to seek help by professional specialists in the social protection centers. She also advised them to call the open-line, which is available around the hour, and operates only to protect women.

On the other hand, to commemorate the International Week to combat Violence against Women, the civic education program at the PWWSD in Tulkarem conducted an educational workshop under the slogan: “Hand in Hand to Combat VAW”. Civic educator Ashwak Omar led the session, which also featured a documentary film on VAW. In the end of the session, the participants recommended putting more efforts to combat violence against women, by raising awareness, modifying the laws, bettering women’s economic conditions and determining a minimum age for marriage, and finally modifying the school curricula.