Ramallah – As part of the project “Supporting Women Active leadership Roles at local Government Units ”, which MIFTAH implements in partnership with GIZ, a four-day training workshop was concluded in Ramallah. The training, which was based on an initiative from local council members in Ramallah and Al- Bireh, was aimed at developing communication skills among the members and promoting their leadership role in local councils. This was achieved through strengthening their personal skills in confronting the challenges and obstacles they face on the job.
Project manager at MIFTAH, Najwa Yaghi said the training workshop was part of the program for promoting social participation, which seeks to support young women leaders in the political and social fields. She said it falls under the cooperation agreement signed by MIFTAH to carry out the “Supporting women’s leadership roles in local councils” project in partnership with the program for empowering women in decision-making in the Middle East, implemented by GIZ with a mandate from BMZ.
The 23 participants in the workshop received various types of training in self-affirmation, developing communications skills, improving coordination skills between local council members in the Ramallah and Bireh governorate and ultimately promoting their role as women leaders.
Yaghi pointed out that the initiative from the local council members was developed in the last quarter of 2015. In the initiative, the members their needs and priorities, the most pressing of which were: developing communication skills, self-affirmation to strengthen their leadership role within the local councils, computer skills, social networking and report writing.
It should be noted that the agreement signed with GIZ targets 16 West Bank and Gaza Strip districts whereby local council members are trained in decision-making mechanisms from a gender perspective. Women qualified for the upcoming local council elections, 2016, will also be trained.
The participants expressed their appreciation for the training and the skills they obtained, which they said contributed to boosting their confidence their roles as local council members. Al- Bireh local council member Jihad Zuhur, said the training workshop allowed for all the participants to benefit from each other’s experiences and improved their self-confidence and performance on the job.
Furthermore, Ras Karkar local council member Bisan Nofal said the training workshop helped her express herself better in terms of assuming her role as a member of the council, a role she said was previously marginal and ineffective.
Deir Jreer local council member Kifah Alawi said the training gave the participants valuable leadership skills. This is particularly significant given that Alawi is the only female member of the village’s local council, something she has always considered as a challenge.
On her part, Hiba Tijani, GIZ Programme Advisor-Strengthening Women in Decision Making in the Middle East, said the project was built around the women’s actual needs, conveyed to GIZ in their initiative. “They hoped we could provide them with training that would boost their roles as decision makers in their respective local councils,” Tijani said. “Once we heard them, GIZ and MIFTAH were compelled to fulfill even a part of this initiative and with MIFTAH, we were able to secure six training days.” She said four days were dedicated to self-affirmation, the art of etiquette, communication skills and other issues. Two additional days of training were given to issues such as communication and social media.
“Our main goal as a program and a project is to empower women in decision-making decisions in the Middle East, an initiative we consider pioneer,” Tijani said. “That is why we will invest in it and benefit from it in the region, such as in Jordan and Lebanon.”
بالشراكة مع برنامج التعاون الألماني (GIZ)..
'مفتاح' تختتم ورشة عمل تدريبية ضمن مشروع 'دعم الدور القيادي للنساء داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية'
تاريخ النشر: 10/12/2015
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – ضمن مشروع "دعم الدور القيادي للنساء داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية" الذي تنفذه "مفتاح" بالشراكة مع التعاون الألماني، وبمبادرة من عضوات مجالس الهيئات المحلية في محافظة رام الله والبيرة ، اختتمت في مدينة رام الله أمس ورشة عمل تدريبية استغرقت أربعة أيام، هدفت إلى تطوير مهارات الاتصال والتواصل لدى العضوات وتعزيز دورهن القيادي داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية من خلال تقوية المهارات الشخصية في مواجهة التحديات والعقبات التي تواجههن أثناء قيامهن في المهام المنوطة بهن.
وأشارت نجوى ياغي مديرة المشاريع في "مفتاح"، إلى أن ورشة العمل التدريبية هذه، نفذت ضمن برنامج تعزيز المشاركة المجتمعية الذي يسعى إلى دعم قيادات نسوية وشابة فاعلة في المجال السياسي والمجتمعي، وضمن اتفاقية التعاون التي وقعتها "مفتاح" لتنفيذ مشروع "دعم الدور القيادي للنساء داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية"، بالشراكة مع برنامج تمكين النساء في صنع القرار في الشرق الأوسط المنفذ من قبل (GIZ) بتفويض من الوزارة الاتحادية للتعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية الألمانية (BMZ).
وتلقت المشاركات وعددهن 23 في ورشة العمل التدريبية هذه وعلى مدى أربعة أيام تدريبات متنوعة في توكيد الذات، وتطوير مهارات الاتصال والتواصل ورفع مهارات التنسيق فيما بين عضوات مجالس الهيئات المحلية في محافظة رام الله والبيرة وصولاً إلى تعزيز دورهن كنساء قياديات يمثلن نموذجاً في مشاركتهن السياسية والمجتمعية، حيث تميّز التدريب بربط هذه المهارات بالمهام المنوطة بعضوات مجالس الهيئات المحلية.
ونوهت ياغي، إلى أن تنفيذ ورشة العمل التدريبية جاءت استجابة للمبادرة التي تقدمت بها عضوات المجالس المحلية في محافظة رام الله والبيرة تبلورت في الربع الاخير من العام 2015، وحددت من خلالها عضوات المجالس في المحافظة احتياجاتهن وأولوياتهن والتي كان من أبرزها: تطوير مهارات الاتصال والتواصل وتوكيد الذات لتقوية دورهن القيادي داخل المجالس المحلية، ومهارات استخدام الكمبيوتر، ووسائل التواصل الاجتماعي، وكتابة التقارير، علما بأن الاتفاقية الموقعة مع (GIZ) ستستهدف 16 محافظة في الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة، حيث سيتم تدريب عضوات المجالس والهيئات المحلية على آليات اتخاذ القرار من منظور النوع الاجتماعي في المجالس المحلية، وكذلك تدريب النساء المؤهلات للمشاركة في انتخابات مجالس الهيئات المحلية القادمة والمتوقع عقدها في العام 2016.
وعبرت المشاركات عن تقديرهن لما وفرته لهن التدريبات من مهارات وما اكتسبنه من معلومات، ساهمت في تعزيز ثقتهن بأنفسهن وبقدرتهن على القيام بأدوارهن كعضوات في المجالس المحلية، وأكدن الحاجة المستمرة لمثل هذه التدريبات. وقالت جهاد زهور عضو مجلس بلدية البيرة، أن التدريبات التي تلقتها مع زميلاتها أتاحت لهن جميعا فرصة الاستفادة من تجارب بعضهن البعض وتطوير أدائهن، خاصة فيما يتعلق بتعزيز الذات.
في حين قالت بيسان نوفل، عضو مجلس قروي رأس كركر، أن التدريبات تلك منحتها القدرة والقوة على التعبير عن ذاتها وتعزيز ثقتها بنفسها وبدورها كعضو في مجلسها القروي، بعد أن كان هذا الدور هامشي وغير مؤثر.
أما كفاح علوي، عضو مجلس دير جرير، فنوهت إلى ما وفره التدريب لها من مهارات القيادة وصقل الشخصية، علما بأنها العضو النسائي الوحيد في المجلس القروي في دير جرير، وهو ما كانت تعتبره تحديا كبيرا، وبالتالي ساهمت أيام التدريب الأربعة في تعزيز ثقتها بنفسها، وتمكينها أكثر في القيام بمسؤولياتها ودورها كعضو في المجلس.
بدورها، قالت هبة تيجاني مستشارة مشروع تمكين النساء في صنع القرار في الشرق الأوسط، في التعاون الألماني (GIZ) أن ما تم من تدريبات كان " بمبادرة من عضوات المجالس المحلية في رام الله والبيرة، حيث توجهن إلينا في مشروع التعاون الألماني (GIZ) على أمل أن ندعمهن بمجموعة من التدريبات التي يمكن أن تعزز من مواقعهن ودورهن كصناع قرار في داخل الهيئات المحلية، في حين بني المشروع على احتياجاتهن الفعلية، ومن هنا كان على برنامج التعاون الألماني، و"مفتاح" تلبية ولو جزء صغير من هذه المبادرات، واستطعنا من خلال "مفتاح" أن نوفر لهن ستة أيام تدريبية، أربعة منها كانت في توكيد الذات، وفن الإتيكيت، والتعامل والتواصل، وقضايا أخرى عديدة، إضافة إلى يومين من التدريبات في مواضيع الاتصالات والاعلام الاجتماعي، ونحن كبرنامج وكمشروع مهمتنا الأساسية هي تمكين النساء في مواقع صنع القرار في الشرق الأوسط، وهي مبادرة نعتبرها ريادية، وسوف نستثمرها ونستفيد منها لتعمم في دول الإقليم في الأردن و لبنان".
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.
