Reflections on Women's Conditions under the Israeli Occupation

Amal Khreishe, a Palestinian activist and the general director of the Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development, joined a “Palästina Komitee München” open panel on “Frauen unter Besatzung”, Women under Occupation. Mrs. Khreishe addressed the atrocities and continuous Israeli violations of human and women’s rights in Palestine.

Palestinian women are among the most vulnerable groups in society, as they are continuously exposed to immense oppression, which range from killing, demolitions of their homes, sexual harassment and assault, discriminatory treatment towards female prisoners, refusal of movement, to the refusal of access to healthcare during medical emergencies. As they directly suffer from implications of Israeli procedures, they also encounter indirect effects of Israeli occupation, such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence.  Due to the worsening economic conditions in the Palestinian Territory, women’s contribution to the labor market approximates 15% of the labor force, according to the PCBS statistics. This has deeply affected women’s representation in the public life in general, and in formal politics in particular. The impact of living under occupation for women includes extreme anxiety, stress related illnesses, loss of opportunities in education and gainful employment, and is detrimental to their relationships with husbands and children. The violence and personal insecurity that many women have witnessed and been subjected to causes extreme psychological distress, harming both family life and society as a whole. 

During the open panels and the workshops, “Shalom Europa” tried to disturb the flow of the sessions, as they constantly marched into and interrupted the talks. They also published and distributed flyers and statements against the activities, in an attempt to silence the Palestinian story, and influence the audience. However, the activity was fruitful as also Knesset Member. Hanine Zoubi, Mrs. Halima Irmeilat, and Nesreen Abosultan projected their own experiences on women’s statuses under the Israeli occupation, in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel.

PWWSD organizes Two Workshops on Women’s Right to Inheritance

Among the lobbying and advocacy campaign under the inheritance Denied project addressing high school students, PWWSD implemented two workshops for the students of Beitounia in Al-lod and An-Noubani Women’s societies.

Naela Oudeh talked about women’s right to inheritance, and stressed the need to give women their rights amidst the current difficult economic and social circumstances

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.