Ramallah – 27/12/2022 – MIFTAH recently completed two workshops on “Elections and women and youth political participation” and “The application of international human rights conventions against discrimination and gender-based violence”, through its field advisory team. The trainings targeted grassroots organizations and CSOs in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. A group of officers from the Police’s Family and Juvenile Protection Department in the West Bank also attended. The trainings are part of MIFTAH’s contribution to expanding the scope of field work within institutions focused on political participation and empowerment of youth and women leaders, so they become full participants in the local and general elections process. They are also aimed at increasing their knowledge on ways to implement human rights conventions pertaining to combatting discrimination and gender-based violence, in order to provide a legislative and procedural environment that enables women to access protection and security services.
The trainings resulted in the development of approaches for action with the targeted institutions and parties, including an emphasis on efforts to promote social awareness on citizenship rights and duties and to integrate these values in cultural and social upbringing. They also stressed on the importance of formulating empowerment and capacity-building programs targeting women and youth within the context of political participation and their involvement in public affairs and finally, promoting the principles of democracy, including the peaceful transfer of power.
The trainees stressed on the importance of social oversight in regards to holding local government units [LGUs] accountable on priorities for their communities, especially regarding the access of services, based on the principles of good governance. The trainings also highlighted the importance of promoting field work through investing in digital media in particular, by sharing the success stories of women and youth in leading initiatives and taking measures that have a possible impact on their communities. This is based on the premise that this helps to change stereotypes regarding the capabilities and competence of these sectors.
The trainings highlighted the need for cooperation and networking between the police and institutions on issues pertaining to women and girls who are victims of violence, through enacted measures, including the National Referral System. This is in addition to working in partnership with grassroots organizations for battered women and the relevant official institutions, including the Social Development and Health Ministries and Departments, Police Protection Departments and CSO service providers. They also emphasized the crucial work of the Family Protection and Juvenile Departments and protection-related institutions in creating awareness and information programs on the procedures employed by police and government departments and on communication methods to enable women, girls and special-needs females to benefit from protection and shelter services. Participants concurred on the need to increase efforts towards lobbying and advocacy campaigns calling for the ratification of the Family Protection Law, which supports the enforcement of the rule of law and the separation of family protection departments from police departments, out of respect for the privacy of domestic violence victims. The workshops furthermore, emphasized the need for safe houses (shelters) and rehabilitation centers in all districts.
These trainings are part of MIFTAH’s Good Governance and Democracy Program, which aims to influence public policies and empower components of Palestinian society to press for social justice and the protection of civil liberties. The program also promotes democracy and building state institutions, based on the principles of good governance, the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, the Basic Law and international conventions pertaining to the fostering of human rights in Palestine.
'مفتاح' تستكمل تنفيذ تدريبين حول 'الانتخابات والمشاركة السياسية للنساء والشباب' و'تطبيقات الاتفاقيات الدولية لحقوق الإنسان لمناهضة التمييز والعنف المبني على أساس النوع الاجتماعي'
تاريخ النشر: 28/12/2022
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – 27/12/2022 – استكملت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" من خلال الفريق الاستشاري الميداني للمؤسسة مؤخراً تدريبات متخصصة حول الانتخابات والمشاركة السياسية للنساء والشباب، وتطبيقات الاتفاقيات الدولية لحقوق الإنسان لمناهضة التمييز والعنف المبني على أساس النوع الاجتماعي، مستهدفة المؤسسات القاعدية ومؤسسات المجتمع المدني في المحافظات الشمالية والوسطى والجنوبية بما يشمل قطاع غزة والقدس، بالإضافة إلى مجموعة من الضباط والضابطات من الإدارة العامة لحماية الأسرة والأحداث لدى الشرطة الفلسطينية في الضفة الغربية، وذلك ضمن مساهمة "مفتاح" في توسيع دوائر العمل الميداني لدى المؤسسات العاملة في مجال المشاركة السياسية وتمكين قيادات شابة ونسوية قادرة على الانخراط في العملية الانتخابية المحلية والعامة بجاهزية وكفاءة، ورفع المستوى المعرفي بآليات العمل باتفاقيات حقوق الإنسان ذات العلاقة بمناهضة التمييز والعنف المبني على النوع الاجتماعي بهدف توفير بيئة تشريعية واجرائية تمكن النساء من الوصول لخدمات الحماية والأمن.
وخرج عن هذه التدريبات بلورة توجهات عمل لدى المؤسسات المستهدفة والجهات ذات العلاقة من أهمية استكمال العمل باتجاه تعزيز الوعي المجتمعي حول حقوق المواطنة وواجباتها، وتضمين قيمها في التنشئة الثقافية والاجتماعية للأفراد لتكون سلوكاً يومياً، وأهمية إعداد برامج تمكين وبناء قدرات تستهدف النساء والشباب في إطار المشاركة السياسية وانخراطهم في قضايا الشأن العام وتعزيز العمل بمبادئ الديمقراطية ومنها التداول السلمي للسلطة. كما أكد المتدربون/ات على أهمية الرقابة المجتمعية في مساءلة مجالس الهيئات المحلية حول قضايا ذات أولوية بالنسبة المجتمع المحلي وخاصة الخدمات وتعزيز وصول الفئات المجتمعية إليها بالاستناد إلى مبادئ الحكم الصالح. كذلك كان لهذه التدريبات الأثر لدى المؤسسات المستهدفة في أهمية الترويج لاتجاهات العمل الميداني من خلال الاستثمار بالإعلام وخاصة الاعلام الرقمي في مشاركة قصص نجاح للنساء والشباب في قيادة مبادرات وإجراءات كان لها الأثر الإيجابي على المجتمع المحلي بحيث تساهم هذه الوسائل في تغيير الصورة النمطية لدى المجتمع حول قدرات وكفاءة هذه الفئات.
وأبرزت هذه التدريبات التأكيد على ضرورة التعاون والتشبيك ما بين الشرطة والمؤسسات في القضايا المتعلقة بالنساء والفتيات ضحايا العنف سواء من خلال الإجراءات الناظمة المعمول فيها ومنها نظام التحويل الوطني، إضافة إلى ضرورة العمل بشراكة ما بين المؤسسات القاعدية المتابعة لقضايا النساء المعنفات والمؤسسات الرسمية ذات العلاقة ومنها مديريات وزارات التنمية الاجتماعية والصحة، ودوائر حماية الشرطة، ومقدمي الخدمات من المؤسسات الأهلية المعروفة في المناطق. كذلك تم التأكيد على ضرورة العمل لدى دوائر حماية الأسرة والأحداث والمؤسسات العاملة في مجال الحماية في إعداد برامج توعوية وتعريفية بالإجراءات المعمول بها لدى الدوائر الشرطية والحكومية وبالعناوين وآليات التواصل لتمكين النساء والفتيات وذوات الإعاقة من التوجه للاستفادة من خدمات الحماية والإيواء. كذلك كان هنالك إجماع على ضرورة تعزيز بالعمل بحملات الضغط والمناصرة نحو إقرار قانون حماية الأسرة لما يشكله من دعم في إنفاذ سيادة القانون، وفصل دوائر حماية الأسرة عن مديريات الشرطة حفاظاً على خصوصية ضحايا العنف من الأسر الفلسطينية، والتأكيد على ضرورة وجود بيوت الإيواء والحماية ومراكز التأهيل في كافة المحافظات.
تأتي هذه التدريبات، ضمن برنامج الحكم الصالح في مؤسسة "مفتاح الرامي" إلى التأثير بالسياسات العامة، وتمكين مكونات المجتمع الفلسطيني من الضغط باتجاه إحقاق المساواة وحماية الحريات المدنية وتعزيز الحياة الديمقراطية والمساهمة في بناء مؤسسات الدولة بالاستناد إلى مبادئ الحكم الصالح والاستناد إلى وثيقة الاستقلال الوطنية والقانون الأساسي والاتفاقيات الدولية المتعلقة بتعزيز حالة حقوق الإنسان في فلسطين.
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.
