Ramallah – MIFTAH and the Forum for Gender and Local Governance “Al Muntada” held a conference on the results of the perceptions survey on services provided by the LGUs from a gender perspective and the special review of the Gender Charter, which was carried out with support from GIZ and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (BMZ). The conference is part of the Program, “Strengthening women in decision-making in the Middle East – LEAD” which aims at fostering a supportive climate for gender integration in local government policies.
In its closing session, the conference called for a review of the Gender Charter and for parts of it to be turned into law. It also called for the formation of a unifying body of women’s and public institutions to review the charter, support its implementation and set the groundwork for creating platforms to mainstream the gender charter at the social level and to build bridges between male and female LGU members to promote social values based on democracy, equality and social justice.
The conference also confirmed the need to review laws pertaining to the jurisdictions of LGUs and to call on the Ministry of Local Government to lead an initiative to implement the electoral reforms approved by the Central Elections Commission. It also called for a law that allows broader participation of women in managing the different committees within LGUs and for civil society institutions to coordinate among themselves to make changes through lobbying and social accountability; it also called for women’s roles in LGUs not to be confined to implementation but to extend beyond this to participation in strategic planning.
MIFTAH Executive Director, Ibtisam Husary opened the conference by welcoming the audience and citing MIFTAH’s efforts on the topic at hand. She briefed them on how MIFTAH has been working strategically since 2003 on promoting the leadership role of women and youth in Palestinian districts, on its endorsement of youth and women’s participation in the decision-making process , on formulating policies at the local and national levels and in the political and social fields to impact gender strategies. She also stressed on the importance of gender equality in LGUs and in supporting the leadership role of women in these units.
Husary said this project is aimed at providing female LGU members with leadership skills necessary for supporting them in leadership roles within these units and to highlight the active roles Palestinian women play in LGUs in influencing decision making and community development. The program, she said, also aims at creating a supportive environment to encourage women’s active involvement within the different technical, policy or administrative LGU committees and at guaranteeing a broader participation and dialogue between the relevant parties to produce gender-responsive recommendations.
On his part, Deputy Minister of Local Government Mohammed Jabareen highlighted the supportive role the ministry plays towards women in LGUs. He said it was a central role that takes into consideration women’s participation in the formulation of plans, policies and strategies. “Upon instructions from the government, we are working on amendments to the electoral system in a way that will guarantee fairness to women and raise the percentage of the women’s quota.” He pointed to the ministry’s support and equality between male and female members pertaining to all enacted laws and regulations in the ministry so that women are partners in all committees and in all gender plans and strategies.
The participants then discussed the results of MIFTAH’s perceptions survey on services provided by the LGUs from a gender perspective. The overall average of citizen satisfaction with the performance of LGUs was 44.2%. There was a close proximity between men and women (44.5% among females and 43.7% among males). Furthermore, the special review of the Gender Charter was discussed, with focus on the challenges of implementing this charter in LGUs. They also proposed amendments to the charter’s wording in a manner that supports it implementation.
The conference held discussions on: the most gender-responsive policies; promotion of the leadership role of women LGU members; guaranteeing the broadest possible representation of women in LGUs; influencing the formulation of public policies in a way that will support women’s access to services provided by LGUs, whether as elected members or women active in LGU work. This took place after a number of trainings MIFTAH held to support women members to actively participate in the various committees in LGUs. It also produced a number of studies, papers and supporting evidence, the results of which show the gender gaps in policies and within LGUs, including procedures, executive plans and participation. This reflects the challenges women still face in centers of decision-making in LGUs due to their inadequate representation and the absence of influence, which necessarily reflects on meeting the needs of women in communities and on their access to services.
Local government policies for promoting gender mainstreaming in LGUs, included in the 2014 Gender Charter, were also showcased during the conference. The charter includes articles calling for gender mainstreaming in these units and the need to follow with executive procedures and regulations to enact the charter in all LGUs. It also called for strengthening the monitoring role of civil society institutions in its execution through imposing monitoring tools on the management of the complaint process in LGUs. Other points in the charter include: the need to prepare executive procedures and regulations in a way that will promote women’s participation in internal and external official delegations and in signing financial transactions; to promote women’s participation in their councils’ special meetings; to ensure effective division of authority in the decision-making process; to reaffirm priorities in terms of gender issues in plans and programs; to promote the role of women members in the follow-up, evaluation, complaints and grievances system; to consider any lack of commitment to the charter as a violation; to ensure the right of women members to obtain knowledge and access information pertaining to the work of their LGU. In this regard, the perceptions survey showed a 5.5% discrepancy in satisfaction between male and female citizens towards clarity of the procedures when applying for services. This demonstrates a disparity in terms of equal opportunities in obtaining information.
نظمته 'مفتاح' ومنتدى النوع الاجتماعي في الحكم المحلي:
توصيات المؤتمر الخاص بنتائج استطلاع الرأي حول رضا المواطنين عن الخدمات التي تقدمها الهيئات المحلية والتقرير الخاص بمراجعة ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي
تاريخ النشر: 12/02/2019
بقلم: مفتاح
اختتمت اليوم أعمال المؤتمر الخاص بنتائج استطلاع الرأي حول رضا المواطنين عن الخدمات التي تقدمها الهيئات المحلية والتقرير الخاص بمراجعة ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي، والذي تنفذه مؤسسة "مفتاح"، ومنتدى النوع الاجتماعي في الحكم المحلي، بدعم من التعاون الألماني GIZ، بتفويض من الوزارة الاتحادية للتعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية الألمانية BMZ، ضمن برنامج تمكين النساء من صنع القرار في الشرق الأوسط (ليد) بهدف تعزيز بيئة داعمة لإدماج النوع الاجتماعي في سياسات الحكم المحلي.
ودعا المؤتمر في ختام أعماله، إلى إعادة قراءة ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي وتحويل جزء منه إلى قوانين، كما دعا إلى تشكيل جسم توحيدي من المؤسسات النسوية والمؤسسات العامة لتدقيق الميثاق ودعم نفاذه، والتأسيس لخلق منصات حوار لتأصيل ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي مجتمعيا، وفتح جسور بين أعضاء الهيئات المحلية ذكورا وإناثا، ولتعزيز القيم المجتمعية المرتكزة إلى الديمقراطية والمساواة والعدالة الاجتماعية.
كما أكد المؤتمر على ضرورة مراجعة القوانين المرتبطة بصلاحيات البلديات والحكم المحلي ومطالبة وزارة الحكم المحلي بقيادة المبادرة بتنفيذ الإصلاحات الانتخابية التي أقرتها اللجنة المركزية للانتخابات. ودعا كذلك إلى وجود قانون يتيح مشاركة أوسع للنساء في إدارة مختلف اللجان داخل الهيئات المحلية، ودعوة مؤسسات المجتمع المدني إلى التنسيق بينها لإحداث التغيير من خلال الضغط والمساءلة المجتمعية، وأن لا يقتصر دور النساء في الهيئات المحلية على التنفيذ، بل يتعداه إلى المشاركة في التخطيط الاستراتيجي.
وكانت ابتسام حصري، المدير التنفيذي لمؤسسة "مفتاح" استهلت أعمال المؤتمر بالترحيب بالمشاركين فيه، مشيرة إلى جهود "مفتاح" بهذا الشأن، حيث عملت بشكل استراتيجي ومنذ العام 2003 على تعزيز الدور القيادي للنساء والشباب في المحافظات الفلسطينية، وعلى دعم مشاركة الشباب والنساء في عملية صنع القرار ورسم السياسات على المستويين المحلي والوطني وضمن المجالات السياسية والمجتمعية، للتأثير في السياسات المستجيبة للنوع الاجتماعي، مع التأكيد على أهمية المساواة بين الجنسين في الهيئات المحلية ودعم الدور القيادي للنساء في تلك الهيئات.
وأكدت أن هذا المشروع يهدف إلى تزويد عضوات الهيئات المحلية بالمهارات القيادية اللازمة لمساندتها في إبراز دورها القيادي داخل الهيئات المحلية، وتسليط الضوء على الأدوار الفاعلة التي تمتلكها النساء الفلسطينيات داخل الهيئات المحلية للتأثير في صنع القرار وتنمية المجتمعات المحلية، وخلق بيئة مساندة تشجع على انخراط النساء داخل الهيئات المحلية بفاعلية داخل اللجان المختلفة سواء الفنية، أو السياساتية، أو الإدارية، وضمان مشاركة وحوار أوسع بين الجهات ذات الاختصاص للخروج بتوصيات مستجيبة للنوع الاجتماعي.
بدوره، أكد محمد جبارين وكيل وزارة الحكم المحلي، في كلمته بافتتاح المؤتمر على الدور الكبير الداعم والمساند الذي توليه وزارته للمرأة في الهيئات المحلية وهو دور مركزي يأخذ بعين الاعتبار مشاركتها في رسم الخطط والسياسات ووضع الاستراتيجيات. وقال:" لا زلنا نعمل بتوجيه من الحكومة على تعديل النظام الانتخابي بما يكفل إنصاف المرأة ونرفع نسبة الكوتا النسائية، مشيرا إلى دعم الوزارة والمساواة بين الأعضاء والعضوات في كل ما يتعلق بالأنظمة والقوانين المعمول بها في الوزارة، لتكون المرأة شريكة في كافة اللجان، وفي جميع الخطط والاستراتيجيات الخاصة بالنوع الاجتماعي وفي جميع المجالات.
وناقش المشاركون والمشاركات في المؤتمر نتائج استطلاع خاص ب"مفتاح" والمتعلق بمدى رضا المواطنين/ات عن الخدمات التي تقدمها الهيئات المحلية، حيث أبرز المعدل العام لنسبة الرضا العام للمواطنين والمواطنات عن أداء الهيئات المحلية 44.2% ، بمعدل متقارب بين الذكور ( 44.5% والإناث 43.7% ) كما تم مناقشة التقرير الخاص بمراجعة ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي، الذي ركز على التحديات في تطبيق ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي داخل مجالس الهيئات المحلية واقترح بعض التعديلات في صياغة الميثاق مما يدفع باتجاه تعزيز تطبيقاته.
وتوقف المؤتمر عند أكثر السياسات المستجيبة لقضايا النوع الاجتماعي، وتعزيز الدور القيادي لعضوات الهيئات المحلية، وضمان تمثيل أوسع للنساء في عمل الحكم المحلي، والتأثير في رسم السياسات العامة بما يساهم في دعم وصول النساء للخدمات التي تقدمها الهيئات المحلية، سواء كعضوات منتخبات أو كفاعلات في عمل الهيئات المحلية، وذلك بعد سلسلة التدريبات التي عقدتها "مفتاح" لدعم العضوات في إطار التفاعل ضمن اللجان المختلفة للهيئات المحلية، إضافة إلى سلسلة من الدراسات والأوراق والأدلة المستمدة والتي أظهرت بنتائجها فجوات النوع الاجتماعي ضمن إطار السياسات وعمل الهيئات المحلية من إجراءات وخطط تنفيذية ومشاركة تعكس التحديات التي ما زالت تواجهها النساء في عملها داخل مراكز صنع القرار في الهيئات المحلية من ضآلة التمثيل، وغياب التأثير ما ينعكس بالضرورة على تلبية احتياجات النساء في المجتمعات المحلية ووصولهن للخدمات بالشكل الذي يحقق الرضا للنساء في هيئاتهن المحلية.
كما تم خلال المؤتمر عرض سياسات الحكم المحلي باتجاه تعزيز دمج النوع الاجتماعي في عمل الهيئات المحلية والتي تتجسد بإصدار ميثاق النوع الاجتماعي 2014 ، والذي احتوى على نصوص تدعو إلى إدماج النوع الاجتماعي في هذه الهيئات وضرورة إلحاق الميثاق بالإجراءات التنفيذية واللوائح الناظمة لتفعيل الميثاق في الهيئات المحلية، وتعزيز الدور الرقابي للمجتمع المدني في تنفيذه من خلال فرض أدوات رقابة مجتمعية على إدارة عمليات الشكاوى في الهيئات المحلية، وضرورة الالتزام بإعداد إجراءات تنفيذية ولوائح لعمل الميثاق بما يعزز مشاركة النساء بالوفود الرسمية داخليا وخارجيا، والتوقيعات على المعاملات المالية، وتعزيز مشاركتهن في الاجتماعات الخاصة بعمل هيئاتهن، وتقاسم السلطة الفعالة في عملية صنع القرار، والتأكيد على أولويات العمل بالنسبة لقضايا النوع الاجتماعي في الخطط والبرامج، وتعزيز دور العضوات في نظام المتابعة والتقييم والتظلم والشكاوى واعتبار عدم الالتزام بما تضمنه الميثاق مخالفة في إطار عمل الهيئات المحلية، وحقهن في الحصول على المعرفة والوصول إلى المعلومات المتعلقة بالعمل داخل الهيئات، حيث أن الاستطلاع أظهر تفاوتاً في نسبة رضا المواطنين والمواطنات حول وضوح إجراءات طلب الخدمات، بنسبة 5.5% ، والتي تظهر فجوة في وجود فرصة متكافئة للحصول على المعلومات.
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.
