Ramallah – For two hours, PLO Executive Committee member and head of MIFTAH’s Board of Directors Dr. Hanan Ashrawi sat and discussed a myriad of issues with dozens of young women leaders. The round table discussion was aimed at sharing experiences and for the young women to learn from the veteran leader and her years in the social, education and political fields in Palestine.
The round table discussion, which was held at the PLO headquarters in Ramallah, was entitled “The role of youth in social life” and is the culmination of the “Promoting Women Voices” project, implemented by MIFTAH in cooperation with the American Consulate General’s Cultural Affairs Office in Jerusalem. The aim of the meeting with Dr. Ashrawi falls within MIFTAH’s goal of empowering leadership elements in society in order to participate in the promotion of democracy, good governance and social awareness on citizen rights and duties.
The young women leaders were extremely attentive to Dr. Ashrawi, wanting to learn about her years in the political and educational arenas, which eventually led to her holding high-ranking positions in various fields.
The women, who hailed from various areas and social strata, including social workers and university students, asked Dr. Ashrawi several questions about the many challenges she faced on her long journey and how she overcame them. They asked her about the role of youth and what she hoped for them in spite of their marginalization and exclusion from decision-making positions. The young women were curious to know how they could strengthen their role as young leaders within their own communities, not only in politics but also in various social fields as well.
Dr. Ashrawi discussed her journey into politics and her involvement in both the executive and legislative authorities in addition to her position in the PLO, all during times when women were mostly excluded and marginalized in these fields.
Dr. Ashrawi explained to the women that taking on pioneer roles is not only for politics , but also applicable in social affairs and service-oriented fields. She also said that taking on this pioneer role does not happen overnight but is the outcome of serious efforts and volunteer work that is actually implemented on the ground. This is in addition to accumulative achievements and successes on which the future can be built.
Dr. Ashrhawi reiterated the importance and centrality of the role of youth, saying that ‘the future was theirs.” This meant that they must also be given the opportunity in various fields to reach decision-making positions and for other sectors of society to benefit from their creative abilities. Ashrawi stressed that the only way to achieve this is through elections, a surefire catalyst for change. This does not take the place of action on the ground, though, she said, focusing on the importance of being involved in daily life of the society in order to discern problems and concerns. She said becoming involved in volunteer work was a major source of power even more so than politics.
As an example, Dr. Ashrawi indicated to Birzeit University’s volunteer program in which she and her colleagues participated alongside the students. She also pointed out a unique part of Palestinian history during the first Intifada when neighborhood committees were in charge of everyday affairs of the people and for facing the challenges and extraordinary circumstances imposed on them by the Israeli occupation.
Still, Dr. Ashrawi did not belittle the challenges facing women leaders in particular. In this regard, she said women were constantly subjected to social pressure and held up to extremely high standards which demand that they are “perfect” without taking into consideration the restrictions and challenges facing them. Ashrawi cited the misuse of religion as one way in which women are oppressed, in addition to the skewed concepts of honor which are used to put more pressure on them in a society that is based on the concept of shame.
One woman participant put the following question to Dr. Ashrawi: “What about dealing with frustration? Young women suffer from it all the time. How can we address this challenge and what tools can we use?”
Dr. Ashrawi expressed her understanding of the difficult situation youths are in today, but said this should not stop them from expressing themselves through volunteer work and through doing whatever they believe in. She acknowledged that because of the Israeli occupation and the fact that the pressures on youth come largely from external sources, the space for expression is weak and limited. “But it is important that people make their own spaces to express and prove themselves, regardless of how humble the opportunities.”
Finally, Dr. Ashrawi explained to the young women leaders that the Palestinian Authority is not being challenged by this generation of youth and is very set in its ways. That is why it is so important that periodic elections are held and new blood is pumped into every facet of society. She also said that there needs to be more job opportunities for our youth and that they should be allowed to lead our society, again putting emphasis on volunteer work and social services, “because these contribute to raising the value of the individual,” she said.
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.
