MIFTAH recently organized a workshop in which the draft of an analytical report on violations of Palestinian women and girls’ social and security rights in the Gaza Strip during the Palestinian political division was presented as part of the activities and events of the Oxfam-funded project “Promoting Women’s Participation in Peace and Security Building”. The workshop hosted several representatives from civil society and government institutions, from the General Union of Palestinian Women and a number of academics interested in Palestinian universities.
The participants in the workshop, which was conducted via videoconferencing with the Gaza Strip, stressed on the importance of the report and called for a renewal of the women’s movement against the division. They said past experiences should be utilized to develop ways to achieve national reconciliation and for popular involvement for the sake of preserving the national project. This, they said, required writing and sending memos and using the media to shed light on violations and on popular actions. It also required social sectors to come together and put pressure on all parties related to the reconciliation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The report, presented by researcher Hiba Al Danaf, showcased several facts which indicated that the negative impacts of the division have exceeded political boundaries and extended into the depths of Palestinian social fabric. It said the division has impacted individual social rights especially for women, in contravention with international conventions, which stipulate the protection of social rights for all societal sectors.
The report showcased the violations of security rights, which Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to throughout the political division, the most significant of which are: the right to the freedom of opinion and expression and the right to a free press; violation of the right to peaceful gathering and protest; personal freedom; protection from arbitrary arrest and detention; the right to physical safety and prevention of torture; and the right to movement and travel which has been further restricted by the division over and above the divisions imposed by the siege on the Gaza Strip. In all, the division created a climate that does not respect differences and pluralism or the exercise of rights and freedoms.
The division constituted a major obstacle to committing to the CEDAW agreement and an obstacle to taking any measures which could improve the state of human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in accordance with obligations stipulated in international agreements signed by the State of Palestine.
Furthermore, the social rights of women were affected by the division in that it stunted the provision of their necessary and humanitarian needs and denied individuals of their basic livelihoods. This all had psychological, social and economic repercussions on women’s rights, such as the right to a reasonable and humane standard of living, the right to housing and to receiving medical treatment, in addition to respect for workers’ rights and work conditions. This right includes determining minimum wage, setting work hours, providing reasonable working conditions, protection from unemployment, guaranteeing equal wage for the same job, and the right to education. In this regard, the session pointed out discriminatory policies, which added an additional burden to women already struggling under the weight of Israeli occupation policies.
This workshop is part of MIFTAH’s efforts to provide spaces for discussion that contribute to promoting concepts of democracy and human rights, enshrined in the principles of international legitimacy and treaties to which Palestine has committed. It is also part of the organization’s efforts to take the necessary measures to guarantee that these rights are implemented and that social, economic, political and legal challenges are removed.
ورشة عمل في 'مفتاح' تستعرض مسودة تقرير تحليلي حول انتهاكات حقوق النساء والفتيات الفلسطينيات الاجتماعية والأمنية في قطاع غزة أثناء الانقسام
تاريخ النشر: 25/09/2018
بقلم: مفتاح
نظمت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" ورشة عمل تم خلالها عرض مسودة تقرير تحليلي حول الانتهاكات لحقوق النساء والفتيات الفلسطينيات الاجتماعية والأمنية في قطاع غزة خلال فترة الانقسام، وذلك ضمن أنشطة وفعاليات مشروع تعزيز مشاركة النساء في بناء السلم والأمن بدعم من (أوكسفام)، وبحضور متنوع من مؤسسات المجتمع المدني والمؤسسات الحكومية وحضور لافت من الاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية، بالإضافة إلى مجموعة من الأكاديميين المهتمين من الجامعات الفلسطينية.
وأكد المشاركون في الورشة، والتي عقدت عبر الفيديو كونفرنس مع قطاع غزة على أهمية ما ورد في التقرير، ودعوا إلى إعادة تجديد الحراك النسوي وإعلاء صوت النساء ضد الانقسام، والاستفادة من التجارب السابقة لتطوير الآليات والعمل على الضغط والدفع باتجاه تحقيق المصالحة الوطنية والتفعيل الشعبي للحفاظ على المشروع الوطني، والذي يتطلب رفع المذكرات، والاستعانة بالإعلام لتسليط الضوء على الانتهاكات وعلى الحراكات الشعبية، ودمج جميع مكونات المجتمع الفلسطيني للضغط على كافة المستويات ذات العلاقة بالضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة.
وكان التقرير الذي قدمته الباحثة هبة الدنف، عرض مجموعة من الحقائق، أشارت إلى أن الآثار السلبية للانقسام تجاوزت الحدود السياسية لتمتد إلى عمق النسيج الاجتماعي الفلسطيني، فيما تأثرت الحقوق الاجتماعية للأفراد وبشكل خاص للنساء نتيجة الانقسام بما يتنافى مع الأعراف الدولية التي نصت على حماية الحقوق الاجتماعية لكافة الفئات المجتمعية.
وعرض التقرير الانتهاكات في الحقوق الأمنية التي تتعرض وتعرضت لها النساء الفلسطينيات في قطاع غزة أثناء الانقسام الفلسطيني، ومن أبرزها: الحق في حرية الرأي والتعبير وحرية الصحافة، وانتهاك الحق في التجمع السلمي والتظاهر، والحرية الشخصية، والحماية من الاعتقال والاحتجاز التعسفي، والحق في السلامة البدنية ومنع التعذيب، والحق في التنقل والسفر، الذي أضاف إليه الانقسام قيوداً إضافية علاوة على القيود التي يفرضها واقع الحصار على قطاع غزة، فيما تسبب الانقسام في خلق بيئة لا يحترم فيها الاختلاف والتعددية، وممارسة الحقوق والحريات.
وشكّل الانقسام عائقاً أساسياً امام التزام المواءمة المترتب على اتفاقية سيداو، وعقبة أمام اتخاذ أية تدابير من شأنها تحسين حالة حقوق الانسان في الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة وفقا للالتزامات الدولية الناشئة عن الاتفاقيات الدولية والتي وقعت عليها دولة فلسطين.
في حين، تأثرت الحقوق الاجتماعية للنساء بالانقسام، من خلال الحد من توفير الاحتياجات الإنسانية والضرورية، وحرمان الأفراد من مصادر رزقهم الأساسية وانعكاسات ذلك النفسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية نتيجة تأثر الحقوق المرتبطة بهذه المستويات جميعها، كالحق في مستوى معيشة لائق معقول وإنساني، والحق في السكن، و في الحصول على العلاج الطبي، بالإضافة إلى احترام حقوق العمال وظروف العمل، ويشمل هذا الحق وضع حد أدنى للأجور تحديد ساعات العمل، وتوفير شروط عمل معقولة، الحماية من البطالة وضمان أجر متساوٍ للعمل الواحد والحق في التعليم، حيث أكدت الجلسة على السياسات التمييزية، والتي جاءت لتضيف عبئاً مضاعفاً على كواهل النساء اللواتي يعانين من سياسات الاحتلال الاسرائيلي.
تأتي هذه الورشة في إطار سعي المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" إلى توفير فضاءات حوارية تساهم في تعزيز مفاهيم الديمقراطية وحقوق الانسان الراسخة ضمن مبادئ الشرعية الدولية والاتفاقيات التي التزمت بها الدولة والسعي باتخاذ ما يلزم من تدابير تكفل تطبيق هذه الحقوق وإزالة التحديات الاجتماعية، والاقتصادية، والسياسية، والقانونية.
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.
