Ramallah – Participants in an evaluation session for training workshops that were organized by the Directorate General of Women at the Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs in close coordination with MIFTAH recommended the need to enact laws that stymie domestic violence. They also called for publishing guidelines for reproductive health in coordination with various institutions such as schools. They reaffirmed the need for female [Muslim] preachers and imams to be involved in more training workshops and for materials on this subject to be available in universities. The workshops are part of MIFTAH's Support for the Protection of Women's Project in partnership with UNFPA.
The workshop evaluated the performance of the preachers and imams after they held awareness sessions in their communities in the Tulkarm and Jenin districts. Based on feedback from the participants, MIFTAH, in cooperation with the Waqf Ministry, decided it would hold 92 additional sessions with the preachers and imams throughout November, 2015.
The workshops addressed mechanisms of communication and outreach in promoting awareness on issues of reproductive health and combatting violence against women. There were 35 participants in total, including12 imams and 23 female preachers. The meetings were the outcome of training while execution on the ground was through close follow-up by the Waqf and trainers.
The floor was given to Myassar Nubani, Director General of Women in the Waqf ministry in Nablus, who said the training workshops left an important impact on the participants in terms of shifting preconceptions. “It will also promote dialogue, whether in the family or society,” she said.
Sheikh Khamis Abdeh, deputy Waqf minister spoke about the importance of holding these workshops on reproductive health and gender-based violence. He also stressed on the important role of NGOs in implementing projects and programs related to these topics such as PAL, TAM and MIFTAH in order to increase awareness in local communities in particular.
The female preachers and imams conveyed several of their experiences during the workshops, reiterating the need for more training and workshops for clergymen and preachers, since religion is an important point of access in society and has a considerable impact in shifting many issues and concepts pertaining to women.
Essential changes
The imams and preachers who participated in the awareness workshops talked about the essential changes these workshops elicited. They said they no longer addressed people and society on issues of religion and worship alone because the workshops opened their eyes to other issues that touch people’s lives and which do not contradict with religion and sharia law.
Enriched culture and information
Imam and Friday sermon preacher Mohammed Wajih Ziyoud said the workshops had an impact on his culture and information and rectified some inherited concepts and beliefs. “No doubt I benefited from this,” he said. “I now apply what I learned in my house and my surroundings, whether through private sessions or my behavior in my home. It had a huge impact on my life.”
Breaking out of the box
Amal Odeh, in charge of the women’s department in Tulkarm, said the most important part of the training was the targeted beneficiaries, that is, preachers and imams. “I felt they were thirsty for and receptive to speaking about these subjects, even if they had only focused on religious affairs before and would shy away from subjects such as reproductive health,” she said. However, after the training, things changed. “They were more enthusiastic about addressing these issues.”
Involvement in reproductive health issues
Focus was also put on the need to integrate men in reproductive health issues through raising their awareness on issues of reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence. Some imams shared success stories during the training program with targeted sectors, pointing to the need for training subjects that address emerging social issues.
The evaluation session showed a discrepancy in attitudes of the targeted sector on the subject of reproductive health whereby some considered it positive while others expressed reservations even though there was an overall conviction of the need for it.
Obstacles
In speaking about the obstacles, some of the organizers found difficulty in coordination between the organizations, especially educational institutions. This indicates the lack of awareness within the government establishment on the process of documentation. Furthermore, some participants showed reservations about the topics at hand.
اختتام ورشة العمل التقييمية للواعظات والأئمة في محافظتي طولكرم وجنين
تاريخ النشر: 05/11/2015
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – أوصى المشاركون في ورشة العمل التقييمية للورش التدريبية التي نفذتها الإدارة العامة للعمل النسائي في وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الدينية بالشراكة مع المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية ( مفتاح)، وصندوق الأمم المتحدة للسكان أل UNFPA، في محافظتي طولكرم وجنين خلال العام الحالي، بضرورة سن قوانين تحد من العنف الأسري، وإصدار إرشادات صحية حول الصحة الإنجابية، والتنسيق مع المؤسسات المختلفة مثل المدارس، واستهداف طلابها وطالباتها، مؤكدين حاجة الأئمة والواعظات إلى المزيد من الدورات التدريبية، وإعطاء مواد دراسية ثقافية في الجامعات حول هذه المواضيع.
وعقدت هذه الورشة لتقييم تجربة أداء الواعظات والأئمة لأدائهم بعد تنفيذهم حلقات التوعية في مجتمعاتهم المحلية، وبناءً على توصيات المشاركين فيها، قررت مؤسسة "مفتاح" بالتعاون مع وزارة الأوقاف تنفيذ 92 جلسة إضافية من خلال الواعظات والأئمة خلال شهر تشرين الثاني للعام 2015 .
وتناولت الورش تلك، آليات الاتصال والتواصل في تعزيز الوعي بقضايا الصحة الإنجابية، ومناهضة العنف ضد المرأة، وشملت 35، بينهم 12 إماما و23 واعظة، علما بأن هذه اللقاءات هي نتاج عملية التدريب، وأن عملية التنفيذ على الأرض كانت من خلال المتابعة الحثيثة من قبل الأوقاف والمدربين.
ثم تحدثت ميسر النوبانى مدير عام الإدارة للعمل النسائي في وزارة الأوقاف بنابلس فتطرقت إلى التدريبات التي نفذت من خلال المشروع، فيما شدد الشيخ خميس عابدة، وكيل وزارة الأوقاف على أهمية الدورات والورش، التي تتناول مواضيع ذات علاقة بالصحة الإنجابية، والعنف المبنى على النوع الاجتماعي، وأكد على دور المؤسسات الأهلية في تنفيذ مشاريع وبرامج لها علاقة بتلك القضايا مثل مؤسسة "بال" و"تام" و"مفتاح"، وزيادة الوعي في المجتمعات المحلية خاصة.
في حين، عرضت عدد من التجارب من قبل الأئمة والواعظات للورش التي تم تنفيذها والآليات المتبعة حيث تم التركيز على أهمية زيادة الدورات والتدريبات للواعظات ورجال الدين باعتبار أن الدين مدخل مهم في حياة المجتمع وله تأثيره في تغيير العديد من القضايا والمفاهيم التي تتعلق بالمرأة.
تغيير جوهري
كان المشاركون في الورش التوعوية، من أئمة وواعظات، تحدثوا عن تغيير جوهري أحدثته تلك الورش لديهم، بحيث لم يعودوا في علاقاتهم مع المواطنين والمجتمع منغلقين على الحديث في قضايا الدين والعبادات فقط، بل وجهتهم تلك التدريبات إلى كثير من القضايا تلامس حياة المواطنين ولا يتعارض الشرع والدين معها.
إثراء للثقافة والمعلومات
يقول محمد وجيه زيود، إمام مسجد وخطيب جمعة" هذه التدريبات أثرت ثقافتي ومعلوماتي، وصححت بعض ما هو قائم من موروث ومعتقد. ولا شك أن ما تلقيناه كان من الفائدة بمكان، بحيث بت أطبقه في بيتي ومحيطي القريب، سواء من خلال الجلسات الخاصة، أو من خلال القدوة السلوكية في بيتي، ما كان له أثر وانعكاس كبيرين على حياتي".
الخروج من الدائرة الضيقة
بالنسبة لآمال عودة، مسؤولة دائرة العمل النسائي في طولكرم، فإن ما كان يهمها في التدريب هو الفئة المستهدفة منه من الأئمة والواعظات. تضيف:" ما لمسناه أنه كان هناك تعطشا وتقبلا لمثل هذه الموضوعات، علما بأنهم كانوا يركزون فقط على الموضوعات الدينية، ويتحرجون في الخوض في موضوعات من قبيل الصحة الإنجابية، ولكن بعد ما تلقوه من تدريبات اختلف الأمر تماما، وباتوا أكثر حماسا للتطرق إليها"..
بدورها، وصفت ميسر نوباني، مدير عام العمل النسائي في وزارة الأوقاف، الورش التدريبية وما تضمنته من معلومات بأنها نوعية ومهمة وتركت أثرا لدى المتدربين من ناحية تغيير الكثير من المفاهيم، ما سيترك تأثيرا من قبلهم على المجتمع، ويعزز لغة الحوار سواء داخل الأسرة أو في المجتمع.
إدماج في قضايا الصحة الإنجابية
ومن بين ما تم التركيز عليه، ضرورة، إدماج الرجال في قضايا الصحة الإنجابية، من خلال زيادة الوعي فيما يتعلق بمواضيع الانجاب والحقوق الانجابية والعنف المبني على النوع الاجتماعي، فيما تطرق بعض الأئمة إلى قصص نجاح خلال تنفيذ البرنامج التدريبي مع الفئات المستهدفة، وحاجة المنفذين إلى مواضيع تدريبية لمواكبة قضايا المجتمع المستجدة.
وظهر من خلال التقييم، وجود تباين في المعرفة من قبل الفئة المستهدفة في موضوع الصحة الإنجابية، حيث اعتبره البعض ايجابيا والبعض الاخر تحفظ عليه مع أن هناك قناعة بالحاجة الماسة إليه.
المعيقات
وفي تطرقهم للمعيقات، وجد بعض المنفذين صعوبة في الإجراءات التنسيقية مع المؤسسات، خاصة التعليمية. ما دل على عدم وجود وعي في سياق المؤسسة الحكومية في عملية التوثيق، بينما أبدى البعض من المشاركين تحفظا من طرح مثل هذه المواضيع.
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.
