Ramallah – This was all new to Maysaloun Abu Hassan, a female preacher from Jenin. Learning about tools of communication regarding reproductive health and combatting violence against women was entirely new territory. But she was eager to listen during the training conducted by MIFTAH in cooperation with the Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs as part of the “Support for the Protection of Women” program. The program is being carried out in partnership with UNFPA. Two training sessions were held over the course of three days in Jenin and Tulkarem districts. The number of participants in the two training courses totaled 46 religious leaders, mainly Imams and Preachers, both males and females.
Maysaloun Abu Hassan: dormant ideas were awakened
Maysaloun said the training enhanced her abilities as a preacher because of the information she received, which she said she was able to put into action in her line of work and in her contact with so many women. However, the biggest impact, she says, was how the training affected her at home, in her relationship with her husband and children.
“We learned new methods which we did not realize before,” she says. “The training prompted us to think about our lives. I, as well as those with me, felt like dormant thoughts were awakened inside of us. This opened doors that were previously closed. The trainer [Thoqan Qishawi] is highly qualified and knew how to get the message across.”
Ahmad Saad: Today we are more qualified and capable
Ahmad Saad, one of the Imams who participated in the training, shared Maysaloun’s sentiments. He said the training was comprehensive, with clear ideas put forth. “The ideas were real and supported by evidence; this was not just theoretical material,” he says. Saad maintains that while he has been an imam for a long time, he feels he is now more qualified and capable of carrying out his duties and does not hesitate to share his knowledge with his fellow Preachers and Imams.
Both Ahmad Saad and Maysaloun Abu Hassan showed their appreciation for MIFTAH and the Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs, and expressed their hope that they would be offered more training of a similar nature in the future.
Thoqan Qishawi: A turning point in discourse and in thoughts
Trainer and capacity-building expert Thoqan Qishawi stressed on the importance of the training in terms of its important beneficiaries. Since the training addressed two main issues – communication and gender-based violence – it constituted a turning point in discourse and in the way of thinking among many participants.
Qishawi goes on to explain how he assesses the training results: “the evaluation encompasses four levels: the first was the level of satisfaction among the trainees, the material, trainer performance and the training methodology and approach. The second was the level of learning; they were at a high level of learning. They had lots of questions so therefore it was a qualitative experience for them. The third point focused on the level of application and the perception of the Imams and Preachers.” Finally, Qishawi says there is a fourth level of assessment, which pertains to awareness transformation. “At this level, we achieved important results, especially in terms of acquiring skills in communication.”
Qishawi said the next step will revolve around how this training will reflect on their performance as Preachers and Imams and how their discourse will rise to the level of inclusion of others.
On her part, trainer Hanan Abu Ghosh spoke about the concept of reproductive health and the importance of including men, saying this is a priority of health institutions, to promote ways of obtaining quality reproductive health services and to expand the scope of opportunities for men and women to enjoy a healthy way of life.
Deputy Minister of Waqf: We achieved what we did not achieve in the past
It was equally important that The Deputy Minister of Waqf, Sheikh Khamis Abdeh attended part of the training along with UNFPA Special Representative, Anders Thomsen, and MIFTAH CEO Dr. Lily Feidy.
“It is imperative that there is mutual awareness about reproductive health among males and females given that raising Palestinian children is a joint affair between spouses”, said Sheikh Abdeh. “What we did not achieve in the past, we are achieving now through MIFTAH and UNFPA.”
Abdeh urged female Preachers and Imams to ensure they had correct and accurate information, which he said was power.
Abdeh stressed the importance of benefiting from this project, which is implemented by MIFTAH, and said: "We must take advantage of this intervention and use it, and not just stand as listeners".
Dr. Lily Feidy: Rectifying misconceptions
Dr. Feidy thanked the deputy Minister of Waqf for participating in the workshop, saying she was "very pleased with this partnership between civil society institutions and the Ministry.” She also thanked UNFPA for their long-term partnership.
Dr. Feidy addressed the Imams and Preachers, saying: “Your role is very important and you bear a huge responsibility in raising awareness in society and in rectifying the misconceptions out there". She said this was a "national duty we must all seek to fulfil”, expressing her hope that this experience with the Ministry of Waqf would lead to other long-term initiatives.
UNFPA representative, Anders Thomsen also thanked MIFTAH and the Ministry of Waqf, saying UNFPA was happy to work with MIFTAH and build this partnership with the organization, “so we can promote this awareness and transform it to others”, he said.
To the audience Thomsen said: “Thank you, as leaders in Palestinian society, thank you for your interest in this subject and your courage to reach out to your communities and speak about these important topics.” He ended by saying that, “the goal of our projects is to create a strong, open and giving Palestine.”
Hanan Said: promoting awareness on reproductive health rights
MIFTAH project coordinator Hanan Said, said the goal of the training was to promote awareness among Imams and Preachers on reproductive health rights and on combatting violence against women so that the information gained would eventually be used in religious discourse in their own communities. “Since Imams and Preachers have such an impact and ability to create change through their religious lessons and sermons, the training will contribute to raising societal awareness on the importance of reproductive health rights and combatting gender-based violence,” Said maintained.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
