MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on transformational leadership, which it carried out in coordination and cooperation with the Negotiations Support Unit as part of its Oxfam-funded project, “Promoting Women’s Participation in Security and Peace Building.” Three three-day workshop was aimed at enabling the Wifaq women’s shadow committee to the official national reconciliation committees to carry out its pioneer role in efforts to achieve civic peace and national reconciliation and to energize the role of civil society institutions and political and social women leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in supporting women’s representation in national dialogue circles.
MIFTAH projects manager, Najwa Yaghi said several topics were discussed during the workshop pertaining to transformational leadership and the foundations of transitional justice in addition to developing a general framework that reflects the interventions of Wifaq, in line with its strategic approaches in this regard. She also said the meeting tackled the challenges facing reconciliation and ending the division, citing a meeting on the sidelines of the training workshop with Fatah Central Committee member in charge of the reconciliation file, Azzam Al Ahmad. During this meeting, Al Ahmad confirmed his support for the committee in identifying ways the committee could use pressure to achieve reconciliation and invest in the recent steps between Hamas and Fatah towards ending the division.
Yaghi said she believed the pledge made by Al Ahmad to support women’s participation in the reconciliation committees and include them in all the committees would constitute a means by which the women’s committee could push for active participation at the national dialogue table and in dialogue circles on the various files. In particular, she pointed out participation in the reconstruction file and several other social and political files that have emerged over the past 10 years of division.
One participant, Sahar Omar, is a member of the women’s shadow committee and a representative of the Women’s Studies Center in Jerusalem. She commented that “the workshop shed light on ways to approach the issue of transitional justice in the post-reconciliation period. It stressed on the importance of creating a value system that takes into consideration the public interest of the entire Palestinian people.” Omar continued that the workshop also broached an important issue which is the ethics of transformational leadership. She maintained that the Palestinian street should begin to consider this so it could become a tool for the transfer of powers and for offering the people a formula for participation in political life after the division. She also said it could allow for a bigger contribution from women in this post-division period.
Another Wifaq committee member, Salwa Jaradat said: “The workshop, in principle , is important given that it opened up horizons for taking on the responsibilities of the current situation and the steps required from us as women towards the reconciliation. This requires a positive role, which is something the workshop achieved from day one.” Jaradat added that said she hoped Azzam Al Ahmad would keep his promise of including women in all the reconciliation committees.
Meanwhile, local council member and women’s activist Hiba Mahamdeh said she would take everything she learned from the training workshop and convey it to her fellow council members and to the youth in her village in particular. She also said she would encourage prominent figures to take an active role in the reconciliation and promote the concept of civic peace at the individual and social levels. Finally, she said she intended to encourage youths to participate ,interact and integrate with their surroundings.
'مفتاح' تختتم ورشة عمل تدريبية للجنة 'وفاق' النسوية حول القيادة التحويلية
تاريخ النشر: 07/10/2017
بقلم: مفتاح
اختتمت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" مؤخرا، ورشة عمل تدريبية حول القيادة التحويلية نظمتها "مفتاح" بالتنسيق والتعاون مع مشروع دعم المفاوضات/ دائرة شؤون المفاوضات، ضمن مشروع "تعزيز مشاركة النساء في بناء السلم والأمن" والذي تنفذه المؤسسة بدعم من أوكسفام، عقدت على مدار ثلاثة أيام، وهدفت إلى تمكين لجنة "وفاق" النسوية للجان المصالحة الوطنية الرسمية من القيام بدورها الريادي في الجهود الرامية إلى السلم الأهلي وتحقيق المصالحة الوطنية، وزيادة تفعيل دور مؤسسات المجتمع المدني والقيادات النسوية السياسية والمجتمعية في الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة، في دعم تمثيل النساء في دوائر الحوار الوطني.
وقالت نجوى ياغي، مديرة مشاريع في "مفتاح ، أنه تم خلال ورشة التدريب هذه مناقشة كثير من الموضوعات المتعلقة بالقيادة التحويلية وأسس العدالة الانتقالية، بالإضافة إلى تطوير إطار عام يعكس تدخلات تنفيذية للجنة الظل النسوية "وفاق" تنسجم مع توجهاتها الاستراتيجية النسوية بهذا الخصوص، وطرح التحديات التي تواجه تحقيق المصالحة وإنهاء الانقسام، مشيرة إلى أن الاجتماع الذي جاء على هامش الورشة التدريبية مع السيد عزام الأحمد عضو اللجنة المركزية لحركة فتح، ومسؤول ملف المصالحة في الحركة، أكد فيها على دعم اللجنة في تحديد المرتكزات التي ممكن أن تنطلق منها اللجنة للضغط باتجاه تحقيق المصالحة واستثمارها للخطوات الاخيرة التي تمت ما بين فتح وحماس باتجاه إنهاء الانقسام.
واعتبرت ياغي أن التعهد الذي قدمه السيد عزام الأحمد بدعمه مشاركة النساء في عضوية لجان المصالحة لإنهاء الانقسام بين حركتي فتح وحماس، وضم عضوات منهن في جميع اللجان، سيشكل ورقة ضاغطة للحركة النسوية باتجاه مشاركتها الفعلية في على طاولة الحوار الوطني ودوائر الحوار الخاصة بالملفات المختلفة، خاصة فيما يتعلق في إعادة الإعمار وعلى جميع المستويات الاجتماعية والسياسية بعد عشر سنوات من الانقسام.
سهَر عمر، عضو لجنة الظل النسوية والتي شاركت في الورشة ممثلة عن مركز الدراسات النسوية في القدس، قالت عن مشاركتها في الورشة:" سلط التدريب الضوء على كيفية التفكير بقضية العدالة الانتقالية في مرحلة ما بعد المصالحة، وأهميتها في الدعوة لإيجاد منظومة قيمية تراعي المصلحة العامة لكافة أبناء الشعب الفلسطيني. كما تطرق إلى مسألة هامة وهي أخلاقية القيادة التحويلية، والمفترض أن يبدأ الشارع الفلسطيني التفكير بها بشكل أساسي، لتكون أداة ناظمة لكيفية انتقال الصلاحيات وإعطاء الشعب صيغة المشاركة في الحياة السياسية ما بعد إنهاء الانقسام، ومساهمة النساء بشكل أكبر في مرحلة ما بعد المصالحة".
أما سلوى جرادات، عضو لجنة الظل النسوية "وفاق"، فقالت:" الورشة من حيث المبدأ مهمة، كونها فتحت آفاقنا نحو تحمل مسؤولية الوضع الراهن، والخطوات المطلوبة منا كنساء اتجاه المصالحة، ما يتطلب القيام بدور إيجابي، وهو ما حققته الورشة في يومها الأول حيث زودتنا بالمعلومات والمعطيات الكافية، معبرة عن أملها بأن يفي السيد عزام الأحمد بتعهده الخاص بضم نساء في جميع لجان المصالحة".
في حين، أكدت هبة محامدة، عضو مجلس محلي، وناشطة نسوية، على أن ما استفادته من المشاركة في ورشة العمل التدريبية، كعضو في مجلس محلي منتخب، ستنقله إلى أعضاء المجلس، وإلى فئة الشباب تحديدا في قريتها، وتشجيع شخصيات اعتبارية بأن يكون لها دور فعّال في موضوع المصالحة وتعزيز مفهوم السلم الأهلي على الصعيدين الفردي والمجتمعي، وتشجيع الشباب على المشاركة والتفاعل والاندماج مع الواقع".
مفتاح في الاخبار
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.
