Ramallah – MIFTAH and the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) held a special session on December 26, 2018 with members of the Women’s Civil Coalition for Implementing the CEDAW Agreement in Occupied Palestine, and GUPW members to discuss three of CEDAW’s (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) recommendations: Numbers 30, 32, and 35 in relation to the Palestinian context. Through the session MIFTAH shared a developed structured paper done by Dr. Tahreer Araj which aimed to addressing the influential utilization of the three General comments to be considered as a reference for the Palestinian women’s movement in advocacy and lobbying at the local and international levels towards demanding protection for Palestinian women and girls given the circumstances of Israeli occupation and internal division under which they live in Palestine and the Diaspora. They also discussed the repercussions of these three recommendations on the specificity of Palestinian women under occupation, which would therefore promote discourse on women’s issues, which Palestinian women engage with the Israeli occupation and other relevant parties in international arenas.
The session was opened by GUPW Secretary and CEDAW coordinator Muna Khalili who welcomed the guests and hoped this New Year (2019) would see the liberation of the Palestinian people from the occupation and the establishment of their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. She continued that the session was being held in cooperation with the Women’s Civil Coalition for Implementing the CEDAW agreement in Occupied Palestine, which MIFTAH and GUPW head, and was meant to shed light on the three recommendations to deepen understanding of these recommendations and how to utilize them in the benefit of Palestinian women.
MIFTAH CEO Ibtisam Husary then welcomed the participants, sharing her hope that the session would produce the necessary recommendations from the discussions.
Furthermore, gender consultant Dr. Tahreer Al Araj presented the MIFTAH-commissioned analytical study on the three CEDAW recommendations and their compatibility in the Palestinian context. She gave a comprehensive presentation of the study’s results and general recommendations for working with them at the Palestinian level. Regarding Recommendation 35, these included: expanding the concept of protection for women to include economic and financial support; to produce a clear intervention strategy with mechanisms for their protection; to pressure decision-makers to ratify the family protection draft law; to develop a clear legal text in the Personal Status Law that raises the age of marriage and criminalizes child marriages; to include material on gender-based violence in the civic education curriculum; to work on establishing a system of full protection for battered women that is clearly adopted by the state as part of its strategic plans and budget; to urge the PA to publish the CEDAW agreement in the official newspaper and work on aligning Palestinian legislations, laws and policies to them; to adopt legislation for overcoming the discrimination in ownership for women and their right to inheritance; to ban amnesty for sexual violations; to involve women in all aspects of designing and implementing the treatment of current gender-based violations.
In terms of the general recommendations for CEDAW recommendations No. 30 and 32, the session put forth the following: to call on the international committee and its various organizations to legally and morally commit to the protection of civilians in the Palestinian territories in general and of women in particular; to pursue and hold Israel accountable for its grave violations of international law; to call on the UN to implement its 1951 agreements pertaining to the protection of refugees, which 142 states signed; to formulate a national mechanism for documenting violations against Palestinian women by the occupation; to develop the women’s social agenda in the national reconciliation file and include it in the national dialogue; to stress on the imperativeness of women’s representation in official national reconciliation committees; to pressure the PA to implement the PLO Central Council decision of at least a 30% women’s quota in PLO institutions and the PA; to guarantee women’s representation in senior positions in mediation, negotiation and reconstruction processes; and to guarantee women’s representation in PLO councils.
The session is part of MIFTAH’s program “Policy Dialogue and Good Governance” which seeks to provide dialogue platforms that guarantee interaction at the national and international level and to influence public policies based on international legitimacy, including international humanitarian law, human rights treaties and UN resolutions of relevance towards achieving protection and equality for Palestinian women.
بدعوة من 'مفتاح' والاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية:
جلسة نقاش حول توصيات اتفاقية القضاء على كافة أشكال التمييز ضد المرأة 'سيداو'
تاريخ النشر: 29/12/2018
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – 26/12/2018 – بدعوة من المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" والاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية، عقدت اليوم الأربعاء جلسة خاصة بحضور أعضاء من ائتلاف سيداو النسوي الأهلي، وعضوات الاتحاد العام للمرأة، تم خلاله مناقشة ثلاث من توصيات سيداو رقم (30)، و(32) و(35). لمواءمتها فلسطينيا كي تشكل هذه الورقة مرجعية تستند إليها الحركة النسوية الفلسطينية في الحوارات والنقاشات التي تعقد على المستويين المحلي والدولي للضغط بالمطالبة بتوفير الحماية للنساء الفلسطينيات في ظل الواقع الذي تعيشه النساء والفتيات في فلسطين والشتات جراء الاحتلال والانقسام الداخلي، وانعكاس هذه التوصيات الثلاث على خصوصية النساء الفلسطينيات تحت الاحتلال والتي من شأنها أن تعزز الخطاب النسوي في قضايا المرأة التي تشتبك بها النساء الفلسطينيات مع الاحتلال الإسرائيلي والجهات ذات العلاقة من على المنابر الدولية.
وكانت الجلسة افتتحت بكلمة منى الخليلي أمينة سر الاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية، ومنسقة ائتلاف "سيداو"، رحبت فيها بالحضور، وهنأتهم بمناسبة الأعياد المجيدة، ورأس السنة الميلادية، وامنت أن يكون العام القادم عام تحرر الشعب الفلسطيني من الاحتلال وإقامة دولته الفلسطينية المستقلة بعاصمتها القدس، مشيرة إلى أن الجلسة التي تعقد بالتعاون بين الائتلاف النسوي الأهلي لتطبيق اتفاقية سيداو الذي يرأسه الاتحاد العام للمرأة ومؤسسة "مفتاح"، خصصت لتسلط الضوء على ثلاث من توصيات اتفاقية القضاء على كافة أشكال التمييز ضد المرأة "سيداو" (35) و(32)، و (30)، لتعميق المعرفة بهذه التوصيات وكيفية استخدامها لصالح المرأة الفلسطينية.
بعد ذلك، ألقت ابتسام حصري المدير التنفيذي لمؤسسة "مفتاح" كلمة هي الأخرى رحبت فيها بالحضور أيضا، وعبّرت عن أملها بأن تخرج الجلسة بالتوصيات المناسبة من خلال استعراض ومناقشة نصوص التوصيات الثلاث.
بدورها، عرضت د. تحرير الأعرج، المستشارة في قضايا النوع الاجتماعي، ومعدّة الدراسة التحليلية حول توصيات سيداو الثلاث ومدى مواءمتها للسياق الفلسطيني، التي كلفت بها من قبل "مفتاح"، عرضا شاملا لما احتوته تلك الدراسة من نتائج خرجت بتوصيات عامة للعمل عليها على المستوى الفلسطيني، فيما يتعلق بالتوصية العامة رقم (35)، من أبرزها: توسيع مفهوم الحماية للنساء ليشمل الجانب الاقتصادي والدعم المالي، والخروج باستراتيجية تدخل واضحة باليات الحماية لها، والعمل على الضغط على صانعي القرار بإقرار مسودة قانون حماية الاسرة من العنف، وبلورة نص قانوني واضح يرفع سن الزواج ويجرم زواج الاطفال في قانون الاحوال الشخصية، وتضمين مناهج التربية المدنية مواد لها علاقة بالعنف المبني على النوع الاجتماعي، والعمل على ايجاد منظومة حماية شاملة للمرأة المعنّفة تتبناها الدولة بشكل واضح ضمن خططها الاستراتيجية وموازنتها، وحث السلطة الفلسطينية على نشر اتفاقية سيداو في الجريدة الرسمية والبدء في العمل على موائمة التشريعات والقوانين والسياسات بالاستناد اليها، واعتماد تشريع للتغلب على التمييز في ملكية المرأة والحق في الميراث، وحظر قرارات العفو عن الانتهاكات الجنسانية، ومشاركة النساء في جميع جوانب التصميم والتنفيذ ومعالجة الانتهاكات القائمة على النوع الاجتماعي.
أما فيما يتعلق بالتوصيات العامة الخاصة بتوصيتي سيداو رقم (30) و(32)، فقد أوصت الجلسة: بدعوة المجتمع الدولي ومنظماته المختلفة للالتزام القانوني والاخلاقي تجاه حماية المدنيين في الاراضي الفلسطينية عموما، وللنساء بشكل خاص، وملاحقة ومساءلة دولة الاحتلال عن الانتهاكات الخطيرة لقواعد القانون الدولي، ومطالبة الأمم المتحدة بتنفيذ اتفاقياتها للعام 1951 والمتعلقة بحماية اللاجئين، والتي وقعت عليها 142 دولة، ووضع آلية وطنية لتوثيق الانتهاكات التي تتعرض لها المرأة الفلسطينية من قبل الاحتلال، وبلورة الاجندة الاجتماعية النسوية في المصالحة الوطنية ووضعها على طاولة الحوار الوطني والتأكيد على ضرورة تمثيل النساء في لجان المصالحة الوطنية الرسمية، والضغط على السلطة الفلسطينية بتطبيق قرار المجلس المركزي بكوتا نسوية في مؤسسات منظمة التحرير والسلطة بنسبة لا تقل عن 30%، وضمان تمثيل النساء في المناصب العليا في عمليات الوساطة والتفاوض واعادة الاعمار وضمان تمثيل النساء في مجالس منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية.
تأتي هذه الجلسة ضمن برنامج "مفتاح" حوار "السياسات والحكم الرشيد" الهادف إلى توفير فضاءات حوارية تضمن التفاعل على المستوى الوطني والدولي والتأثير برسم السياسات العامة بالاستناد إلى أطر الشرعة الدولية بدءا بالقانون الدولي الإنساني، واتفاقيات حقوق الإنسان والقرارات الأممية ذات الصلة وبما يحقق الحماية والمساواة للمرأة الفلسطينية.
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.
