MIFTAH representatives Riham Faqih and Lamis Hantouli recently participated in CEDAW’s (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) 70th session. They were part of a delegation of civil society institutions (the Women’s Civil Coalition for implementing the CEDAW agreement in occupied Palestine) which includes several rights and women’s groups. The CEDAW meetings were held between July 9 and 11 in Geneva, Switzerland and focused on the discussion of Palestine’s CEDAW report. MIFTAH’s team participated in sessions in which the shadow report was presented, responding to inquiries about the Palestine report and providing the committee with the necessary data and information. The team also attended the session held on the margins of the conference, organized by the Palestinian mission in Geneva and which focused on the applications of the CEDAW agreement and the challenges posed by the presence of the Israeli occupation. During this session, MIFTAH presented a working paper pertaining to violations against Palestinian women in refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Jerusalem, based on the general comments 30, 32 and 35 of the CEDAW agreement, which addresses women in conflict and under occupation.

MIFTAH also participated in the lengthy discussion to discuss the first report of the State of Palestine before the CEDAW committee. The report reflects Palestine’s commitments to the agreement since it was signed by President Mahmoud Abbas in 2014. The official Palestinian team, which included representatives from the various government sectors, provided responses to inquiries put to it by the CEDAW committee.

The delegation, headed by Minister for Women’s Affairs, Dr. Haifa Al Agha and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, vowed commitment to the committee to improve the status of Palestinian women at the legal, political and procedural levels, namely to ratify the Family Protection Law, reviewing the Personal Status Law, the Penal Code and the Labor Law and work towards unifying laws between the West Bank and Gaza Strip to formulate a Palestinian National Law. The delegation also reaffirmed its commitment to address the recommendations put forth by civil society and to seriously look into signing the agreement’s additional protocols. Minister Al Agha confirmed during the meeting that Palestine would sit down with the CEDAW committee in two years to showcase the projected achievements in the coming two years.

MIFTAH’s participation in the CEDAW session is supported by OXFAM and is part of its Conflict and Fragility program.