Ramallah -- 8/9/2020 MIFTAH recently held a zoom meeting in partnership with the NGO Civil Coalition for the Personal Status Law, which is headed by the General Union of Palestinian Women entitled “Proposed policies and procedures for developing ecclesiastic and sharia courts”. The meeting was held to present and discuss public policy papers on measures in these courts, which offered alternative measures and policies to them; the measures in effect are aimed at consolidating the hierarchal authority within the family, especially regarding issues of discord and conflict, alimony and inheritance under the pretext of maintaining family coherence. The public policy papers were prepared by MIFTAH and focus on the gender gaps in policies and procedures in ecclesiastic and sharia courts in Palestine.
The session began with presentations that corroborated the content of the policy paper, which was prepared by the Evangelical Lutheran Church Court of First Instance in Jordan and the holy lands, Scarlett Bishara, on the discriminatory provisions and measures in personal status laws adopted by Christian denominations. Her paper focused on marriage, alimony, guardianship and inheritance, also addressing the obstacles that prevent women from accessing justice, which include: costly litigation fees, lengthy litigation measures, the weak representation of women in the Ecclesiastic Court Council and lack of legal knowledge regarding personal status laws among women. The paper produced several recommendations and alternatives such as: the need to review personal status laws of Christian denominations to include the principles of rights-based justice and equality; to ratify a unified law for all denominations; encourage the appointment of women judges specialized in ecclesiastic courts; focus on the education and awareness of women on ecclesiastic laws and provide socio-legal services to women involved in court cases.
Meanwhile, the paper on conflict and discord prepared by Khadija Hussein also produced several recommendations, including the need to develop the current system of reform and domestic arbitration. This includes resolving domestic disputes via mediation and a program for family and social reform on condition of a guarantee of adherence to equality, justice and the protection of vulnerable sectors such as women. There is also the need to reconsider the policies for terminating a marriage, starting from the principle of equality regarding the right of both parties to terminate it; granting the party affected by the continuation of the marriage the means of resorting to separation lawsuit based on damages. Furthermore, accessing justice and ending gender-based violence within the family requires integration between the different components of the judicial system and means of legal redress; considering the issue of violence against women as an independent criminal act, which must to be referred to the relevant judicial parties for review; creating appropriate referral mechanisms to provide protection for battered women.
Meanwhile, Reverend Munther Ishaaq, pastor for the Bethlehem and Beit Jala Lutheran Churches and Dean of the Bible College said, “As Christian and Muslim scholars we strive to achieve justice and to prove that justice and equality are not counter to religions; that justice for women is not counter to religion but is at the core of it. The monotheistic religions all call for justice and equality, which would be reflected in the laws as well.” Ishaaq also maintained that changing personal status laws was not impossible, citing the experience of the Lutheran denomination as proof.
Regarding the policies and measures pertaining to sharia courts and arbitrators, the interventions stressed on the need for a mechanism for appointing arbitrators by the judge, the criteria for their appointment and the reasons for the stipulation that arbitrators must be male. This requires that from the start, arbitrators must have experience and knowledge of women’s rights in Palestinian law and international human rights criteria; they also pointed to the importance of reviewing the topic of fees and costs of arbitrators, which ranges between NIS500-700 for each arbitrator and the financial burden it imposes. It is necessary that the system of arbitration is developed and reformed and that women have easier access to justice, namely financial access, whereby financial burdens are not a hindrance to women benefiting from the justice system. This is in light of the regional and international approaches dealing with the concept of mediation in domestic disputes as an integrated system.
As for Judge Abdallah Harb, he called for equity between men and women. “The problem is with the cultural legacy and prevailing customs and traditions; it is not the responsibility of the clergy.” Harb added, “In the courts, we do not deal with the cases in front of us as clergy but as judges,” concluding that “arbitration needs discipline and commitment. I support amending some theological texts in favor of women and the family as a whole; any area that changes can be made, we can just go in and make them”.
On her part, coordinator for the Coalition Haitham Arar, said that the Palestinian Basic Law is a law that is made to govern the entire Palestinian people, pointing to certain loopholes in draft resolutions and circulars that are exploited by certain people. In this context, Arar confirmed on the importance of emphasizing the culture of amendments among everyone, especially judges, warning against factions that might take advantage of certain sharia judges. “We must start the conversation with our reality and Palestinian culture and emphasize that our society needs fair and practical solutions. There must be continuous discussions in order to reach a unified vision in this regard for all citizens.”
MIFTAH project manager, Najwa Sandouqa-Yaghi said the session was part of the interventions of its OXFAM-funded project “Conflict and Fragility” and is also a continuation of MIFTAH’s efforts, in coordination with the GUPW to make reforms and amendments to the current personal status laws and to policies and procedures, in parallel with the national efforts to develop a Palestinian law based on a women’s rights approach for personal status and domestic affairs.
استكمالاً لنقاشات سابقة..
جلسة ل'مفتاح' تناقش 'سياسات واجراءات مقترحة لتطوير عمل المحاكم الكنسية والشرعية'
تاريخ النشر: 09/09/2020
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – 8/9/2020 – عقدت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" بالشراكة مع الائتلاف الأهلي لقانون الأحوال الشخصية والذي يرأسه الاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية، جلسة عبر تقنية زووم تحت عنوان "سياسات وإجراءات مقترحة لتطوير عمل المحاكم الكنسية والشرعية"، تم خلالها عرض ومناقشة أوراق السياسات العامة حول الاجراءات في المحاكم الكنسية والشرعية، والتي خرجت بإجراءات وسياسات بديلة لتلك المعمول بها في المحاكم الشرعية والكنسية، والتي تعمل على تكريس السلطة الهرمية داخل الأسرة سيما في قضايا الشقاق والنزاع والنفقة والميراث بحجة الحفاظ على تماسك الأسرة، حيث استندت أوراق السياسات العامة التي تم عرضها إلى تقرير كانت قد أعدّته "مفتاح" حول فجوات النوع الاجتماعي في سياسات وإجراءات المحاكم الشرعية والكنسية في فلسطين.
وتخلل الجلسة مداخلات أكدت على ما جاء في ورقة السياسات العامة التي أعدّتها القاضية في محكمة البداية للكنيسة الانجيلية اللوثرية في الاردن والاراضي المقدسة الأستاذة سكارلت بشارة حول القوانين والإجراءات التمييزية في قوانين الأحوال الشخصية للطوائف المسيحية بالتركيز على قضايا الزواج والنفقة والولاية والميراث، تطرقت من خلالها للمعيقات التي تحول دول وصول النساء للعدالة أهمها: رسوم التقاضي الباهظة، ومدة وإجراءات التقاضي الطويلة، وضعف تمثيل النساء في هيئة المحاكم الكنسية، إضافة إلى نقص المعرفة القانونية للنساء في قوانين الأحوال الشخصية، حيث خرجت الورقة بالعديد من التوصيات والبدائل أهمها: ضرورة مراجعة قوانين الأحوال الشخصية للطوائف المسيحية بتضمينها مبادئ العدل والمساواة في الحقوق والعمل على إقرار قانون موحد لجميع الطوائف، وتشجيع المحاكم الكنسية على تعيين قضاة من النساء المتخصصات في المحاكم الكنسية، إضافة إلى التركيز على توعية وتثقيف النساء بالقوانين الكنسية وتوفير خدمات قانونية اجتماعية للنساء المتوجهات للمحاكم.
بدوره، قدّم القس الدكتور منذر اسحق راعي كنيستي بيت لحم وبيت جالا اللوثرية والعميد الأكاديمي بكلية الكتاب المقدس مداخلة قال فيها:" إننا كعلماء دين مسيحيين ومسلمين نجتهد لتكريس العدالة، وأن نثبت بأن العدالة والمساواة ليست ضد الأديان، وأنّ إنصاف المرأة ليس ضد الدين، بل هي جوهر الأديان لأن الأديان السماوية دعت لإحقاق العدالة والمساواة والذي يجب أن ينعكس من خلال القوانين"، مؤكدا على أنّ تغيير قوانين الأحوال الشخصية ليس مستحيلاً، والدليل على ذلك تجربة الطائفة اللوثرية .
وفيما يتعلق بالسياسات والإجراءات المتعلقة بالمحاكم الشرعية والمتعلقة بالمحكمين؛ فقد أكدت المداخلات حول ورقة السياسات العامة التي أعدّتها الاستاذة خديجة حسين حول النزاع والشقاق على وجوب البحث في آلية تعيين الحكمين من قبل القاضي، وكيفية اختيارهم، وما هي المعايير التي يتم بناء عليها اتخاذ القرار بشأن تعيينهم في القضايا المسندة إليه، ولماذا يتم اشتراط الذكورة في المحكمين، الأمر الذي يتطلب بداية وجود خبرة ومعرفة لدى المحكمين بحقوق المرأة في القانون الفلسطيني والمعايير الدولية لحقوق الإنسان، وأهمية إعادة النظر بقضية بدفع تكاليف ونفقات الحكمين، والتي تتراوح قيمتها المالية ما بين (500-700 شيكل) لكل حكم، الأمر الذي يترتب عليه مشقة مالية في معظم الأحيان باحتساب نفقات ومصاريف الدعوى، وأنه بات من اللازم تطوير وإصلاح نظام التحكيم وتسهيل وصول النساء الى العدالة، وخاصة الوصول الاقتصادي، بحيث لا يعيق الأعباء المالية استفادة النساء من القضاء القائم، وذلك في ظل توجهات إقليمية ودولية تعنى بمفهوم الوساطة في النزاعات الأسرية كمنظومة متكاملة.
وخرجت ورقة النزاع والشقاق التي أعدتها الأستاذة حسين، بمجموعة من التوصيات من أبرزها: الحاجة الى تطوير منظومة الإصلاح والتحكيم الأسري القائم، ويشمل ذلك حل الخلافات الاسرية عن طريق الوساطة، وبرامج الإصلاح العائلي والاجتماعي، شريطة التقيد بضمانات المساواة والعدالة وحماية الفئات الضعيفة كالنساء. وضرورة إعادة النظر في سياسات انهاء الحياة الزوجية، انطلاقا من مبدأ المساواة في حق الطرفين في الانهاء. ومنح المتضرر من استمرارية الحياة الزوجية باللجوء الى دعوى التفريق بناء على الضرر. في حين، يتطلب موضوع الوصول إلى العدالة والحد من العنف المبني على الجنس داخل الاسرة، التكامل بين مكونات النظام القضائي وسبل الانصاف القانوني، والاعتبار لموضوع العنف ضد المرأة في الاسرة كفعل جرمي مستقل، يتوجب احالته الى الجهات القضائية المختصة بالنظر به، وإيجاد اليات تحويل مناسبة لتوفير الحماية للنساء المعنفات.
أما القاضي د. عبد الله حرب، فطالب بإنصاف المرأة والرجل. وقال:" المشكلة هي مع الموروث الثقافي والعادات والتقاليد السائدة، وهي ليست مسؤولية رجال الدين". أضاف: "خلال عملنا في المحاكم لا نتعامل مع القضايا التي بين أيدينا كرجال دين بل كقضاة"، وأكد في نهاية حديثه على أنّ "التحكيم بحاجة إلى ضبط والتزام، وأنا مع تعديل بعض النصوص الفقهية لصالح المرأة والأسرة ككل، وفي أي مجال يمكن التغيير فيه يمكننا الذهاب إليه والقيام به".
بدورها، أكدت هيثم عرار منسقة ائتلاف قانون الأحوال الشخصية، في مداخلة لها على أن القانون الأساسي الفلسطيني هو القانون الذي يحكم الشعب الفلسطيني، مشيرة إلى بعض الثغرات في التعاميم ومشاريع القرارات التي تستغل من قبل بعض الأشخاص. وفي هذا السياق، أكدت عرار على أهمية تعميم الثقافة لدى الجميع خاصة القضاة حول التعديلات الممكنة على القوانين، محذرة من استغلال بعض القضاة الشرعيين من قبل الأحزاب. وقالت:" لا بد من الانطلاق بالحوار من الواقع والثقافة الفلسطينية، وأنّ مجتمعنا بحاجة إلى حلول عملية منصفة، ولا بد من النقاشات المستمرة، وصولاً إلى رؤية موحدة بهذا الخصوص لكافة المواطنين.".
تأتي هذه الجلسة، وفقاً للسيدة نجوى صندوقة - ياغي مديرة المشروع في "مفتاح"، ضمن تدخلات مشروع "تعزيز مشاركة النساء في بناء السلم والأمن" واستكمالاً أيضاً لجهود "مفتاح" بالتنسيق مع الاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية الذي يترأس الائتلاف الأهلي لقانون الأحوال الشخصية لإجراء الإصلاحات والتعديلات على قوانين الأحوال الشخصية النافذة والسياسات والإجراءات بشكل متوازٍ مع الجهود الوطنية المبذولة في بلورة قانون فلسطيني يستند إلى النهج الحقوقي النسوي في تناول الأحوال الشخصية وشؤون الأسرة.
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.
