Ramallah – MIFTAH recently completed 20 awareness workshops in Palestinian universities and youth and social centers in the following districts: Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Jericho and the Jordan Valley, Bethlehem, Jenin and Jerusalem. The workshops were on political participation and active citizenship and targeted around 400 university students and youth activists. The workshops are part of the AMAL project on “Supporting Women’s Transformative Leadership in Changing Times and Democratic Transition” in the MENA region. The AMAL project seeks to “enhance the political participation of women and contribute to raising the capabilities of Palestinian women, particularly poor and marginalized women, to participate in leadership and to exercise these at all decision-making levels, in order to secure their needs and rights within the prevalent governing structure”.
AMAL project coordinator Abeer Zaghari pointed out that these workshops were a follow-up step to the “training-of-trainers” in which a group of 20 youths participated. The awareness workshops focused on political participation, active citizenship, and principles of democracy and good governance and were conducted by 20 young men and women from MIFTAH's Political and Social Active Palestinian Youth Network.
Spreading awareness and culture
In her assessment of the awareness workshops, Zaghari said, “The workshops left an impression on the targeted groups, especially the youths in terms of information and culture spread among the students. It had an impact on the awareness of the students in Palestinian universities regarding the importance of youth and women’s political participation and raised their awareness on their political and civil rights.”
The workshops also had an impact on the members of the Youth Network whereby they expanded their networks of communication and outreach; they were made more visible and were able to highlight their role to their peers and communities as change-makers and future leaders.
Youth activist and member of the Youth Network Raed Al Atrash conducted one of the workshops entitled “Accountability of the student council at Al Arroub College” which was attended by over 50 students.
Al Atrash said students were introduced to the concept of political participation and further mechanisms of interaction related to this participation, in addition to mechanisms for holding the student council accountable according to its bylaws. The concepts of political participation and accountability were introduced and Al Atrash led a discussion on Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees the rights of political participation for each citizen. "The council’s bylaws were also presented and the students were informed of their rights and measures to question their council in the council’s general conference", he said.
Participation of civil society institutions
Another workshop was held in Al Quds Open University in cooperation with the student council, the Shabibeh Youth movement, social activists and members of the Youth Network, on good governance and the political participation of Palestinian women. The participants confirmed the importance of involvement by civil society organizations in spreading the principles of good governance and promoting full participation.
The workshop included a detailed presentation on good governance by Hanin Zbeidat, one of the program’s beneficiaries, its significance and the reasons for its emergence, in addition to proposals for achieving this in Palestinian society. Abeer Areenat, a graduate of Al Quds University’s Jericho branch, also presented on the role of Palestinian women in society, their political participation and their right to run and vote in elections.
Raising awareness of women and youth in marginalized areas
Zaghari noted, “The most significant goal of this program is to raise the level of awareness among women and youth in marginalized areas at the level of political, social and economic rights". Additionally, another goal is to improve the skills of women’s organizations and their partners and strengthen their abilities in defending women’s rights with one voice, as well as influencing and raising the awareness of key decision-makers in terms of the needs and priorities of women.
Zaghari reiterated that continued support of youth through holding such workshops is in-line with the aforementioned goals of the AMAL project.
Director of the Participation Enhancement Program at MIFTAH, Lamis Shuaibi-Hantouli closed by saying that civil society organizations must support the move of young leaders towards promoting the principles of democracy and good governance. More importantly, she added, they should embrace this active youth movement to influence decision-makers in Palestinian society and support the premises of transformative leadership.
بمشاركة 400 من النشطاء وطلاب الجامعات..
'مفتاح' تختتم 20 ورشة توعوية ضمن مشروع 'أمل' حول مبادئ الديمقراطية والحكم الصالح
تاريخ النشر: 20/10/2015
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – انتهت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح"، مؤخرا من تنفيذ 20 ورشة توعوية في الجامعات الفلسطينية ومراكز الشباب والمراكز المجتمعية في محافظات: رام الله، الخليل، نابلس، أريحا والأغوار، بيت لحم، جنين، والقدس، حول المشاركة حول المشاركة السياسية والمواطنة الفاعلة، مستهدفة نحو 400 من طلاب الجامعات والنشطاء الشباب في هذه المواقع، والتي نفذت ضمن مشروع "أمل" المتمثل في دعم القيادة النسوية التغييرية في أوقات التغيير في دول الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا “.
خطوة استكمالية
وأشارت عبير الزغاري، منسقة المشروع لدى "مفتاح"، أن هذه الورشات تأتي كخطوة استكمالية ، لتدريب المدربين الذي شاركت فيه المجموعة الشبابية العشرين، المستهدفة، حيث تركز التدريب على مبادئ الديمقراطية والحكم الصالح، ونفذت الورشات من قبل 20 شابا وفتاة من أعضاء شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسيا ومجتمعيا، حيث يسعى برنامج أمل" "إلى الإسهام في رفع قدرات النساء الفلسطينيات، وخصوصاً النساء الفقيرات والمهمشات، للمشاركة في القيادة وممارستها على جميع مستويات صنع القرار، لضمان تحقيق احتياجاتهن وإحقاق حقوقهن ضمن بنى الحكم القائمة."
نشر الوعي والثقافة
وفي تقييمها لما تلقاه المستهدفون من ورش التوعية هذه قالت الزغاري:" تركت الورشات التوعوية، أثرا على الفئات المستهدفة وخاصة الشباب، من حيث ما نشرته من معلومات وثقافة بين الطلاب، أثرت في مستوى وعي الطالبات في الجامعات الفلسطينية حول أهمية المشاركة السياسية للشباب والنساء، ورفع وعيهم بحقوقهم السياسية والمدنية.
كما كان لهذه الورشات أثر على أعضاء شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسيا ومجتمعيا التي قادت إدارة هذه الورشات وتيسيرها، من حيث أنها وسعت شبكات اتصالهم وتواصلهم، وجعلتهم مرئيين أكثر وأبرزت دورهم أمام أقرانهم ومجتمعاتهم المحلية كصناع للتغيير وقادة للمستقبل.
التعمق في آليات التفعيل
الناشط الشبابي رائد الأطرش، عضو شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسيا ومجتمعيا، كان واحدا ممن نفذوا التدريب، حيث أشرف على إدارة ورشة عمل بعنوان " مساءلة مجلس اتحاد الطلبة في كلية العروب "، حضرها قرابة الـ 50 طالبا وطالبة .
أشار رائد إلى ما تم من خلال الورشة، حيث تعرف لطلبة على مفهوم المشاركة السياسية والتعمق في آليات التفعيل المتصلة بالمشاركة السياسية ، وآليات مساءلة مجالس الطلبة وفقا للقانون الداخلي للمجلس . وقال:" تم عرض مفهوم المشاركة السياسية والمساءلة، وقد قاد النقاش خلال الورشة إلى الحديث عن القانون الفلسطيني الأساسي، الذي كفل المشاركة السياسية للمواطن، كما تم استعراض القانون الداخلي للمجلس وضمانات مساءلة الطلبة لمجلسهم خلال المؤتمر العام للمجلس و طرق ذلك".
نشر فكرة المشاركة السياسية
ويرى رائد أن الورشة وفرت البيئة المناسبة لتحفيز الطلبة على نشر فكرة المشاركة السياسية والقنوات لمساءلة المسؤولين، بغض النظر عن مناصبهم، ومكانتهم، باعتبار ذلك حق لكل مواطن".
مشاركة مؤسسات المجتمع المدني
في حين، نفذت ورشة أخرى، في جامعة القدس المفتوحة، بالتعاون مع مجلس الطلبة وحركة الشبيبة الطلابية، ونشطاء مجتمعيين وأعضاء من شبكة الأغوار الشبابية الفلسطينية، حول الحكم الصالح والمشاركة السياسية للمرأة الفلسطينية ، أكد المشاركون فيها على أهمية المشاركة مع مؤسسات المجتمع المحلي في نشر مباديء الحكم الصالح وتعزيز المشاركة التامة.
وعبر المشاركون عن قناعتهم بأهمية الموضوع، حيث يساهم بتحقيق التوعية المجتمعية، ويوسع إدراك الطلبة فيما يتعلق بالمشاركة السياسية وأهمية دور المرأة في المجال السياسي والعام.
وتخلل الورشة المذكورة، تقديم شرح مفصل من قبل حنين زبيدات إحدى المستفيدات من برنامج التدريب، عن الحكم الصالح وأهميته والأسباب التي أدت إلى ظهوره والمقترحات التي تعمل على تحقيقه في المجتمع الفلسطيني ، فيما قدمت عبير عرينات وهي طالبة خريجة فرع أريحا عن دور المرأة الفلسطينية في المجتمع الفلسطيني والمشاركة السياسية للمرأة وحقها في الترشح والانتخاب .
رفع مستوى وعي النساء والشباب في المناطق المهمشة
وأضافت الزغاري:" من أبرز أهداف هذا البرنامج: زيادة مستوى وعي النساء والشباب في المناطق المهمشة على صعيد الحقوق السياسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية، والارتقاء بمهارات عدد من المؤسسات النسوية وحلفائها، وتقوية قدرتها في مجال الدفاع عن حقوق المرأة بصوت واحد و التأثير في صناعة القرار، وزيادة وعي صناع القرار والمؤثرين في الرأي فيما يخص احتياجات وأوليات النساء".
وأكدت الزغاري، أن الاستمرار في العمل على دعم الشباب في عقد مثل هذه الورشات ينسجم مع أهداف برنامج "أمل"، والذي يسعى إلى زيادة مستوى وعي النساء والشباب في المناطق المهمشة على صعيد الحقوق السياسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية.
دعم توجهات الشباب القيادية
فيما اختتمت مديرة برنامج تعزيز المشاركة المجتمعية لميس الشعيبي الحنتولي، بالإشارة إلى أن عمل مؤسسات المجتمع المدني يجب أن يدعم توجهات الشباب القيادية في تعزيز مباديء الديمقراطية والحكم الصالح، والأهم من ذلك هو احتضان الحراك الشبابي الواعي والفاعل القادر على التأثير وصنع التغيير داخل المجتمع الفلسطيني، ودعم منطلقات القيادة التغييرية.
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.
