Sana Abdel Fattah, from the village of Qatanna, northwest of Jerusalem, and Nisreen Amro from Al Ram, north of the city, are both beneficiaries of the project, ““The development of local communities in the districts of Jerusalem Small Income Generating Projects for Women in Rural Areas”, which is implemented by MIFTAH with support from the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development. Recently, MIFTAH completed a series of practical and technical training for 20 women beneficiaries managing four food-production projects, in Sawahra Sharqiyeh, Al Ram, Anata and Shufat camp.
Nisreen, who is targeted through the project in Al Ram, received three days of training on how to jumpstart their projects and to start the implementation and the management phase. She says the impact was huge. Nisreen is a mother of six children but says this was the ‘first step towards economic empowerment, obtaining a monthly steady income and improving her living situations.” Nisreen now makes baked goods, salads, meals and sweets, but says they need more funding to guarantee means of marketing and delivering their products to consumers.
Sana Abdel Fattah from Qatanna, received sewing and embroidery training in addition to training on time-management, preparing estimating budgets and product marketing. Sana also agrees that the project was economically empowering, especially for women with big families.
Sana hopes the project will continue so that she and her colleagues can expand their business and eventually depend on it for a steady income.
Fatimeh Sarhan, head of the food-production department in the Beit Dukko Development Society, which oversaw the women’s training in the four targeted areas, says the project’s significance lies in its responsiveness to women’s needs. The training boosted their characters, she says, because now they are more capable of managing their projects and setting the necessary budgets, so they can identify their market needs, connect with the public and enjoy seeing their products being marketed and sold.
MIFTAH project coordinator Hanan Said says the goal of the training workshops was to scope out the women’s needs and their skills-level in terms of each of their projects. “Based on this, a training plan was devised and training then offered to four groups of women who run food-production projects on the most important criteria for healthy and sanitary manufacturing, production and packaging.” This, she maintains, contributed to the successful start of the production stage, which was well received in their local markets.
Additionally, women members of LGUs and women community leaders were directly involved in the supervision of the trainings and in helping the women learn ways of organizing administrative and financial matters.
Said continues that the project itself is aimed at contributing to the development of communities in marginalized areas, especially around Jerusalem and in Area C. This is through encouraging leading members of local councils, especially young women, to be more effective and influential in elevating the status of women in their communities. The project takes into consideration the needs of these marginalized women through economically empowering them via economic grants offered to groups of women categorized as less-privilege in their communities.
Finally, such projects, Said says, will contribute to changing stereotypes towards female LGU members’ roles and raise awareness at the community and individual levels towards the leadership role and capabilities of these members. They will also increase the level of their social and political participation, on the one hand and contribute to improving the reality of marginalized women, on the other.
سناء ونسرين: 'تنمية المجتمعات المحلية اقتصاديا' منحنا اعتمادا على الذات ونجاعة في إدارة الوقت
تاريخ النشر: 01/09/2016
بقلم: مفتاح
تدرك كل من سناء عبد الفتاح من قرية قطنة شمال غرب القدس، ونسرين عمرو من سكان بلدة الرام إلى الشمال من المدينة المقدسة حاجتهن إلى مزيد من الوقت حتى يكون بإمكانهما الاعتماد على مصدر دخل ثابث سيؤمنه لهما مشروع "تقوية النساء الريفيات بمشاريع صغيرة مدرة للدخل" الذي تنفذه المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" بدعم من الصندوق العربي للإنماء الاجتماعي والاقتصادي، حيث اختتمت "مفتاح" مؤخرا سلسلة من التدريبات العملية والتقنية لأربعة مشاريع تصنيع غذائي بلغ عدد المستفيدات منها 20 مستفيدة توزع على بلدات وقرى: السواحرة الشرقية، ضاحية الرام، عناتا، ومخيم شعفاط.
في مشروع التصنيع الغذائي الذي استهدف مجموعة من النساء في الرام، كانت نسرين واحدة من أفراد هذه المجموعة، اللواتي تلقين وعلى مدى ثلاثة أيام تدريبات على كيفية البدء بمشاريعهن وترجمتها على الأرض، لكن ما تركه المشروع من أثر هو الأهم بالنسبة لنسرين، وهي أم لستة أبناء. وفي ذلك تقول: " هو خطوة أولى نحو التمكين الاقتصادي، ونحو توفير مصدر دخل شهري سوف يساعدنا على تدبر أوضاعنا المعيشية، من خلال ما سننتجه ونصنعه من معجنات، وسلطات، ومأكولات، وحلويات". تضيف:" في هذه المرحلة، وقد بدأنا نصنع بعض المأكولات، نحتاج إلى دعم إضافي من قبيل تأمين وسيلة يمكننا من خلالها إيصال منتوجاتنا إلى مستهلكيها. نحن الآن نستخدم مقر جمعية عباد الشمس، إلى حين نتمكن من استئجار مقر دائم لنا".
أما سناء عبدالفتاح، من قرية قطنة، فكانت واحدة من مجموعة نساء في قريتها، تلقين تدريبا على ماكينات الخياطة والتطريز، إضافة إلى تدريب يتعلق بإدارة الوقت، وتقدير الموازنات، وكيفية التعاطي فيما يتعلق بتسويق منتجهن . وتتفق سناء مع نسرين فيما ذكرته بشأن التمكين الاقتصادي للمستفيدين، علما بأنها مسؤولة عن تصريف شؤون بيتها كونها أرملة وتعيل أيضا ستة أبناء.
تطمح سناء، أن لا يتوقف المشروع عند هذا الحد، وأن تتمكن مع زميلاتها من التوسع في أعمالهن، حتى يمكنهن الاعتماد كليا على مصدر دخل ثابت.
في حين ترى فاطمة سرحان، مدربة ومسؤولة قسم التصنيع الغذائي في جمعية بيت دقو للتنمية والتطوير، والتي أشرفت على تدريبات مجموعات من النساء في المناطق الأربع المستهدفة، أن أهمية هذا المشروع التمكيني للنساء تكمن في احتياج المستهدفات له ، وكان للتدريبات التي تلقينها انعكاسا على شخوصهن، حيث بتن أكثر قدرة على إدارة المشروع، ووضع الموازنات المطلوبة للمشروع، وحتى التعرف على احتياجات السوق، والتواصل مع الجمهور، والسعادة الكبرى في رؤية منتوجهن يسوق ويباع.
تقول حنان سعيد، منسقة المشروع في "مفتاح"، عن طبيعة المشروع:" ضمن خطة المشروع والتي تضمنت تمكين النساء وتقوية مهاراتهن في تخصصات المشاريع التي منحت لهن تم تنفيذ سلسلة من التدريبات العملية لمشاريع التصنيع الغذائي بشكل أولي، وقد هدف التدريب إلى فحص احتياجات النساء ومستوى مهارتهن بالنسبة لخبرتهن في المشاريع الممنوحة، وبناء على هذا الفحص تم بناء خطة تدريب بحيث تم التدريب في اربعة مشاريع تصنيع غذائي على اهم معايير التصنيع والإنتاج والتغليف ضمن المواصفات والمقاييس الصحية والسليمة للمنتوجات المصنعة، مما ساهم ذلك في بدء مرحلة الانتاج لدى المشاريع بنجاح وإقبال من السوق المحلي. بجانب ذلك تم دمج العضوات في الهيئات المحلية والقيادات للمباشرة والإشراف على التدريب ومساعدة النساء المستفيدات من المنح على كيفية تنظيم القضايا الادارية والمالية".
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.
