Dozens of local council members in the Hebron, Bethlehem districts recently completed training on decision-making mechanisms in local councils from a gender perspective. This was part of a series of trainings implemented by MIFTAH to promote Palestinian women’s participation in decision making at the local and community levels in order to enhance the capabilities of those looking to run in the 2016 local council elections. This will enable them to use decision-making mechanisms inside local councils as independent elected leaders. The project under which the training falls is entitled: “Supporting Women’s Active Leadership Roles in Local Government Units” implemented by MIFTAH in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The project’s aim to help provide a supportive environment for joint interaction within local government units for the role of women and its importance in community development and decision-making.
Multitude of experiences
Abla Froukh, member of Saeer’s local council in the Hebron district, who is also a member of several committees within the council, says that before the course, she knew nothing about the local council law, which is no longer the case. Nor she says, did the participants have enough information on topics such as gender, communications or organizational charting. “Today we are more capable of discussing different subjects,”Froukh says. “We are better equipped to assume our role as members of the local council and as members of our community; we are able to address our fellow citizens better and actively participate in committee meetings. Overall, this has been a qualitative change for all of us.”
For Najah Manasra, member of the Bani Naim council, the training was an opportunity to practically deal with the public and learn ways of decision making. “We never had this chance in the past,” she said, adding that she acquired important skills in the training including how better to manage tasks inside the council. “We also contributed to raising awareness among our colleagues in dealing with the public, not to mention learning more about local council laws.” Beit Sahour town council member since 2012, Ula Khayr says this kind of training usually results in an improvement in performance among members and activists. She said the training offered the participants broader knowledge of the style and methodology of dialogue and ways of conveying information more efficiently.
At the individual level, Khayr says she aims to one day become mayor or a PLC member, which she knows necessitates even more experience and knowledge, one other reason why she is pushing for more advanced training.
For Zeinab Atiyeh, member of the Taqou’ village council in the Bethlehem region, the training helped her to acquire more knowledge and taught her the skill of networking, things she says are especially important in marginalized areas such as her own. She maintains that she now communicates better with her male colleagues in local councils, citing both her own confidence boost and the confidence of others in her abilities.
Motivation methodology
Gender expert Fida’Barghouthi, who has supervised the MIFTAH’s trainings since December, 2015, highlighted means of gender-responsive decision-making in local councils to the participants. She also showcased other experiences in this regard through the use of methodologies aimed at motivating more male and female citizens to participate in decision-making through active integration among local councils and sectors.
Supporting women’s leadership roles
MIFTAH Projects manager, Najwa Yaghi pointed out that the latest training was part of MIFTAH’s support for women’s leadership roles in local councils. She said a guidebook would be launched that focuses on decision-making mechanisms within local councils from a gender perspective within the first quarter of 2016 and which would support women to become more involved in the decision-making circles inside the local councils.
MIFTAH Programs Director Lamis Shuaibi meanwhile, reiterated that MIFTAH has always supported and encouraged women to reach decision-making positions and empower them with the readiness and qualifications to take on effective decision making posts at all levels.
نفذته 'مفتاح' بدعم من أل GIZ ..
عضوات مجالس محلية من الخليل وبيت لحم يقيمن مشاركتهن في تدريب حول آليات اتخاذ القرا ر في المجالس المحلية من منظور النوع الاجتماعي
تاريخ النشر: 05/03/2016
بقلم: مفتاح
أنهت العشرات من عضوات وأعضاء المجالس المحلية في محافظات الخليل، بيت لحم ورام الله مؤخرا تدريبا حول آليات اتخاذ القرار في المجالس المحلية من منظور النوع الاجتماعي، في إطار سلسلة التدريبات التي نفذتها المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" لتعزيز مشاركة النساء الفلسطينيات في صنع القرار على المستوى المحلي والمجتمعي، وبهدف تعزيز قدرات اللواتي يمتلكن الرغبة للترشح لعضوية مجالس الهيئات المحلية للعام 2016، وتمكينهن من استخدام آليات اتخاذ القرار داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية كعضوات منتخبات مستقبلاً، ضمن مشروع "دعم الدور القيادي للنساء داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية" الذي تنفذّه "مفتاح"، بالشراكة مع التعاون الألمانيGIZ ، وكان الهدف منه المساهمة في توفير بيئة داعمة للتفاعل المشترك داخل الهيئات المحلية، ما يدعم دور النساء وأهميته في التنمية المحلية وصنع القرار.
مهارات
التدريب جمع العديد من عضوات واعضاء المجالس المحلية من المحافظات المذكورة، وكان على درجة من الأهمية بالنسب لهن، من حيث ما اكتسبنه من مهارات، وما أضاف إليهن من معلومات أثرت تجاربهن في الكيفية التي تدار بها المجالس المحلية، وعززت لديهن الثقة بالنفس والقدرة على التواصل مع مجتمعهن ومع زملائهن في المجالس المحلية ، حيث يشاركن بفعالية في إدارة تلك المجالس.
تجارب مختلفة
"عبلة الفروخ"، عضو مجلس محلي سعير بمحافظة الخليل، إضافة إلى عضويتها في عدة لجان داخل المجلس، كاللجنة الشبابية، والمعارف ، والمالية، والموازنة، تحدثت عن واقع ما تمخض عنه هذه التدريب وما جنته منه. تقول:" لا يمكن مقارنة اليوم بالأمس. قبل ذلك، كنا نجهل قانون الهيئات المحلية، ولم يكن لدينا معلومات كافية عن قضايا مثل النوع الاجتماعي، والاتصال والتواصل، والتخطيط الهيكلي. اليوم بات لدينا قدرة أكبر على الحديث والنقاش في كل ما يثار. أيضا أعطتنا قوة في التعامل داخل البلدية كأعضاء وموظفين ومجتمع محلي، ما مكننا من مخاطبة المواطنين والمشاركة في اجتماعات اللجان.. وهذا في مجمله شكل إضافة نوعية، من ناحية رفع الكفاءة وزيادة المعرفة وتطوير الأداء".
بالنسبة ل "نجاح مناصرة"، عضو مجلس محلي بني نعيم، كان التدريب فرصة لممارسة عملية حول كيفية التعامل مع الجمهور وآليات اتخاذ القرار، ولم يكن تسنى لنا ذلك في السابق على نحو ما هو عليه الآن. وبالتالي منحنا هذا التدريب مهارات ومعارف في إدارتنا لمهامنا داخل المجالس، وساهمنا أيضا في توعية زميلات لنا في تلك المجالس من ناحية التعامل مع المواطنين، ومنحنا قوة شخصية وإلماما بأكبر بقوانين المجالس المحلية". تضيف:" اليوم اتخاذ أي قرار في المجلس يتم وفقا لمعرفة كبيرة بالقوانين المعمول بها، وبالتالي باتت عملية صنع القرار أكثر فاعلية وتأثيرا".
في حين ترى يولا خير، عضو مجلس بلدية بيت ساحور منذ العام 2012، أن هذا النوع من التدريب غالبا ما يؤدي إلى تطوير أداء العضوات والناشطات بشكل عام حيث تختلف قدرات العضوات وإمكانياتهن. التدريب الأخير منحنا كعضوات معرفة أكبر بأسلوب ومنهجية الحوار، وسبل إيصال المعلومة بطريقة سلسة وسهلة. وبالتالي لا بد من ديمومة لهذا النوع من التدريب للتعرف أكثر على نقاط الضعف وتقويتها، وتحديد الاحتياجات حتى يمكن تطوير الأداء على نحو أفضل".
مع خبرتها الواسعة، وعضويتها في أكثر من هيئة سواء كانت محلية، أو شبابية أو حزبية، تطمح يولا خير إلى الحصول على دورات تأهيل عليا لممارسة أدوار أكبر من دورها الحالي في جميع الهيئات واللجان التي عملت فيها لسنوات طويلة. طموح يولا اليوم هو الوصول إلى موقع رئيس البلدية أو عضوية المجلس التشريعي، وهذا يتطلب خبرة ومعرفة إضافية تحتاجها شخصيا كما كل الأعضاء والعضوات سواء في المجالس والهيئات المحلية أو في غيرها من لجان ومؤسسات.
أما زينب عطية، عضو مجلس قروي تقوع بمحافظة بيت لحم، فترى في هذا النوع من التدريب فائدة تجنيها عضوات المجالس المحلية خاصة في المناطق المهمشة، وتعتبر احتياجا أساسيا لهن.
بالنسبة ل"عطية"، فقد أثرتها التدريبات الأخيرة من ناحية تمكين الذات، وزيادة خلفيتها المعرفية، وآليات التشبيك مع المجتمع والمؤسسات، والتواصل بشكل أفضل مع زملائها الرجال أعضاء المجالس المحلية، عدا عن أنها عززت ثقتها بنفسها، وضاعفت من ثقة الآخرين بها وبقدرتها على العطاء.
منهجيات التحفيز
وكانت فداء البرغوثي خبيرة النوع الاجتماعي، والتي أشرفت على سلسلة التدريبات التي نفذتها "مفتاح" منذ كانون الأول من العام الماضي، استعرضت للمشاركات والمشاركين في التدريبين الأخيرين في المحافظات الثلاث، طرق اتخاذ قرارات مستجيبة للنوع الاجتماعي في مجال الهيئات المحلية والتجارب والخبرات في هذا الجانب، من خلال استخدام منهجيات هادفة لتحفيز المزيد من مشاركة المواطنين والمواطنات في اتخاذ القرارات، وعبر الاندماج الفعال بين الفئات المحلية بالمزيد من المشاركة المحلية في الهيئات المحلية.
دعم الدور القيادي للنساء
ولفتت نجوى ياغي مديرة المشاريع في "مفتاح" إلى أن التدريبات الأخيرة التي نفذتها المؤسسة تأتي استكمالاً للدعم الذي تقدمه "مفتاح" في اطار دعم الدور القيادي للنساء داخل الهيئات المحلية، فيما سيتم اطلاق دليل ارشادي متخصص يتناول بشكل سلس آليات اتخاذ القرار داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية من منظور النوع الاجتماعي خلال الربع الاول من العام 2016، يهدف الى مساندة النساء داخل الهيئات المحلية في الانخراط بثبات في حلقات اتخاذ القرارات داخل الهيئة المحلية.
اما لميس الشعيبي مديرة البرامج في "مفتاح"، اكدت على ان مفتاح مستمرة في دعم النساء ومساندتهن في الوصول الى مراكز صنع القرار، وتمكينهن بالجاهزية والكفاءة لتبوء مراكز قيادية مؤثرة وفاعلة في مواقع صنع القرار على جميع المستويات.
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.
