Ramallah – 9/3/22 – MIFTAH recently capped off three days of training on human rights conventions, including The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), as references, for Palestinian security services. The training was based on a MIFTAH manual aimed at elevating the performance of the Palestinian security sector and developing policies and measures for its work to respond to the reality of gender discrimination against Palestinian women and girls. The training targeted military, civilian and academic members of Al Istiqlal University, the Palestinian Academy for Security Sciences.
The training program included a presentation of gender-related concepts and their significance within the Palestinian context, as an analytical tool for the work of security services and at the level of organizational structures in military training academies, to guarantee equality, equity and non-discrimination based on sex, race or political affiliation. It also included a presentation on the development of women’s rights within international conventions, particularly CEDAW and UNSCR1325 and the extent to which they are applicable to the case of Palestinian women.
The three-day training constituted an interactive space to showcase the best practices for security services in dealing with survivors of domestic violence and who are at odds with the law, in addition to women working in the security sector and in public spaces. The discussion revolved around actual practices and the legal loopholes identified by the CEDAW committee and included in the State of Palestine’s comments. They also noted the importance of applying pressure on decision-makers to do everything necessary to guarantee that work proceeds according to the principle of the rule of law and the protection of women’s rights within the system of enacted laws, including the Penal Code and the Personal Status Law. In addition, the participants said it was necessary to expedite the ratification of the Family Protection Law.
Participant responses
Al Istiqlal University Vice President of Administrative and Financial Affairs, Dr. Raja Sweidan, said she hoped MIFTAH would continue to offer training in the future, to get an even closer look at CEDAW and Resolution 1325 and arrive at practical applications on how to integrate gender in university departments and the security academy. She also encouraged further discussion over observations on the manual in order to amend and develop it, in addition to presenting more cases from Al Istiqlal University and ways to develop them.
As to how CEDAW could be implemented within security and military academy policies, Dr. Sweidan said this could be achieved primarily through training. “We need training and capacity building of teams from security training academies on the specifics of CEDAW to coincide with Palestinian culture and society and to arrive at a deeper understanding of this convention through introduction to its provisions and articles. After the training, gender-sensitive systems and measures must be created and budgets earmarked for capacity-building. This is in addition to trainers introducing teams to awareness programs and then formulating clear policies at the university to commit to the integration of gender issues.”
In his assessment of the training and ways to implement CEDAW and UNSCR1325 in military training in particular and within the work of security services in general, Imad Younis, Vice President of Military Training at Al Istiqlal University said, “This training was a necessity so that we can better explore the specifics of CEDAW and Resolution 1325. Truth is, the stereotypes surrounding this Convention in particular, misconstrued the idea of liberties granted to women. However, the training clarified some concepts and terms.”
Younis said he believed it was necessary to continue this training with different teams within the security services and employees of Al Istiqlal University. “This is because we need answers to a lot of questions pertaining to UNSCR1325. We support this resolution because it advances our cause in international arenas and sheds light on violations against women, whether from the occupation or by society.”
In his assessment of the training and manual prepared by MIFTAH, Dr. Osama Darraj stated, “Everyone agreed the training was beneficial for us all. It gave us the opportunity to get a closer look at Resolution 1325 and CEDAW. We will not hesitate in the future to take part in similar trainings.”
Darraj also recommended that they needed tools to carry out the training so “we trainees can train our students on what we learned and be able to pass on this experience to them.”
In regards to using CEDAW and Resolution 1325 as a reference for security services in general and in Al Istiqlal University in particular, Dr. Kifah Manasra stressed on the importance of convincing decision-makers within the security establishment and at the university on this. “We do not need to create special units within the security establishment and the university to implement this convention, but rather to internalize and integrate CEDAW into the work of all units and bodies within these institutions so they are more gender-sensitive. This can be accomplished through training all members, which should be a condition for enrollment. This way, these institutions will become resistant to discrimination and capable of creating a safe environment pertaining to violence-related issues, in general. We need to establish assessment, follow-up and monitoring units for all violations because this would allow for the creation of shared concepts at the university so it has a unified identity in front of the students. It would also help to eliminate personal or cultural conjecturing by individual members of the university.
Recommendations
The following recommendations were made during the workshop:
- The need to continue communications with the security establishment and to build a partnership based on a premise of equality in rights and duties.
- Constructing a clear understanding and policy for renouncing discrimination, both in theory and in practice.
- Fostering a better understanding of the role of the security establishment in respecting and implementing the law, irrespective of the individual approaches or viewpoints of its members
- Working to cultivate a culture of human rights among the university teams, students and security forces in their everyday practices.
- Creating structures based on justice and participation
- Building on the importance of women’s active and effective participation within security institutions and at all decision-making levels
Officer in MIFTAH’s empowerment and training unit, Najwa Yaghi-Sanduka, said the training was conducted by MIFTAH in cooperation and coordination with the Dutch-based War Child Organization. She said it was part of MIFTAH’s efforts to enhance knowledge and understanding among security services on CEDAW and UN resolutions related to the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The objective, she maintained, is to support official and security institutions in abiding by their commitments towards human rights conventions signed by the State of Palestine and reviving action on related UN resolutions. Yaghi-Sanduka continued that the training posed an opportunity to encourage women’s participation and representation within the protection and security sector in Palestine, including CEDAW, General Recommendations 35, 32 and 30 and UNSCR1325.
'مفتاح' تختتم تدريباُ حول مرجعية اتفاقيات حقوق الانسان في عمل الأجهزة الامنية بالتنسيق مع جامعة الاستقلال
تاريخ النشر: 10/03/2022
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – 9/3/2022 - اختتمت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية (مفتاح)، تدريباُ استمر لثلاثة أيام حول مرجعية الاتفاقيات الدولية ومنها اتفاقية "سيداو" في عمل الأجهزة الأمنية. وتنفذ "مفتاح" هذا التدريب بالاستناد الى الدليل الإرشادي المتخصص والذي أعدته "مفتاح" ، بهدف المساهمة في رفع أداء العاملين في قطاع الامن الفلسطيني وتطوير السياسات والإجراءات الخاصة بعمل الأجهزة الأمنية تجاه الاستجابة إلى قضايا النساء والفتيات الفلسطينيات في واقع التمييز القائم على الجنس. واستهدف التدريب مجموعة من المشاركين/ت من الكوادر العسكرية والمدنية والأكاديمية لجامعة الاستقلال - الاكاديمية الفلسطينية للعلوم الأمنية.
وتضمن البرنامج التدريبي استعراض المفاهيم ذات العلاقة بالنوع الاجتماعي وأهميتها في السياق الفلسطيني كأداة تحليلية في عمل الأجهزة الأمنية وعلى مستوى الهياكل التنظيمية في معاهد التدريب العسكري، بما يضمن تحقيق المساواة والإنصاف وعدم التمييز القائم على الجنس أو العرق أو الانتماء السياسي، كما تضمن التدريب المشاركين/ات مشاركة لمسار تطور حقوق النساء ضمن المواثيق والاتفاقيات الدولية، ولا سيما اتفاقية (سيداو) والقرار الأممي 1325 ومدى انطباقها على الحالة الفلسطينية التي تعيشها نساء فلسطين.
فيما شكّل التدريب مساحة تفاعلية لاستعراض أهم الممارسات الفضلى للأجهزة الأمنية بالتعامل مع النساء الناجيات من العنف واللواتي على خلاف مع القانون، والعاملات في القطاع الأمني، بالإضافة إلى النساء في المساحات العامة، حيث انطلق النقاش من الممارسات الفعلية والفجوات القانونية التي حددتها لجنة (سيداو) وضمنتها في ملاحظاتها لدولة فلسطين. وتم الوقوف على أهمية الضغط على صانعي القرار لإجراء اللازم بما يضمن الاعمال بمبدأ سيادة القانون وحماية حقوق النساء ضمن منظومة القوانين المعمول بها ومنها قانون العقوبات والاحوال الشخصية والضغط باتجاه ضرورة الاستعجال باقرار قانون حماية الأسرة من العنف.
ردود المشاركين في التدريب
د.رجاء سويدان، نائب رئيس جامعة الاستقلال للشؤون الإدارية والمالية، عبرت عن أملها وبناء على التدريب الذي نفذته مؤسسة "مفتاح" استمراره واستكماله مستقبلاً ليكون أكثر عمقاً لناحية التطرق لبنود اتفاقية سيداو والقرار 1325، والحصول على تطبيقات عملية في كيفية إدماج النوع الاجتماعي في وحدات الجامعة والكلية الأمنية. وأن تكون هناك مناقشة إضافية لبعض الملاحظات المتعلقة بالدليل الإرشادي من أجل تطويره وتعديله، وأن يتم عرض حالات أكثر من داخل جامعة الاستقلال وكيفية تطويرها.
وفيما يتعلق بالكيفية التي يمكن من خلالها إنفاذ اتفاقية سيداو ضمن السياسات المعمول بها في معاهد التدريب الأمني والعسكري، قالت د. سويدان:" يمكن ذلك من خلال التدريب أولاٍ. أي تدريب وبناء قدرات طواقم معاهد التدريب الأمني على حيثيات سيداو بما يتناسب مع ثقافة المجتمع الفلسطيني وعقيدته، وصولاً إلى فهم أعمق لهذه الاتفاقية من خلال التعرف على بنودها. ثم العمل بعد التدريب على بناء أنظمة وتدابير حساسة للنوع الاجتماعي، وتخصيص موازنات مالية لصالح بناء القدرات ، بالإضافة إلى تنفيذ برامج توعية ينقلها المدرب للطاقم، ثم وضع سياسات واضحة في الجامعة بالالتزام بإدماج قضايا النوع الاجتماعي.
وفي تقييمه لهذا التدريب، وسبل إنفاذ اتفاقية سيداو والقرار 1325 في التدريب العسكري بشكل خاص وضمن عمل الأجهزة الأمنية بشكل عام، قال عماد يونس نائب رئيس التدريب العسكري في جامعة الاستقلال:" في الواقع، كان هذا التدريب احتياجاً مطلوباً لكي ندخل بتفاصيله المتعلقة باتفاقية "سيداو" والقرار الاممي 1325، لأن الصورة النمطية حول الاتفاقية تحديداً تناولت فكرة الحريات وما تم ترويجه بطريقة مغلوطة إزاء الحريات التي تمنحها للمرأة، لكن جاء التدريب ليوضح بعض المصطلحات والمفاهيم".
ويرى يونس أهمية وضرورة استكمال هذه التدريبات مع الفرق المختلفة في الأجهزة الأمنية والعاملين في جامعة الاستقلال .. "لأننا بحاجة إلى إجابات على كثير من الأسئلة المتعلقة بالقرار الاممي 1325، وهو قرار نحن ندعمه لأنه يقدم قضيتنا في المحافل الدولية ويسلط الضوء على الانتهاكات بحق النساء سواء من قبل الاحتلال أو من قبل المجتمع المحلي".
وفي معرض تقييمه للتدريب وللدليل الذي أعدته "مفتاح" قال د. أسامة دراج، " كان التدريب مفيداً لنا جميعاُ بإجماع جميع المشاركين فيه، واطلعنا من خلاله وعن قرب على القرار الأممي واتفاقية "سيداو"، ولن نتردد مستقبلاً بالمشاركة بأية تدريبات أخرى مماثلة".
وفي شأن ما يرى من توصيات بهذا الخصوص، قال د. دراج:" نحن أعضاء فريق المتدربين بحاجة إلى آليات تنفيذية للتدريب حتى نستطيع أن ندرب طلابنا على ما تلقيناه خلال التدريب، وحتى يكون بمقدورنا نقل هذه التجربة إليهم".
وفيما يتعلق بمرجعية اتفاقية "سيدو" والقرار الاممي 1325 في الأجهزة الأمنية بشكل عام وداخل جامعة الاستقلال بشكل خاص، ترى د. كفاح مناصرة... أهمية وضرورة قناعة صانعي القرار في داخل المؤسسة الأمنية وجامعة الاستقلال بالاتفاقية وبقرار 1325. وقالت:" نحن لا نحتاج إلى استحداث وحدات خاصة داخل المؤسسة الأمنية وداخل جامعة الاستقلال لتنفيذ هذه الاتفاقية، إنما نحن بحاجة إلى أن يتم تذويت وادماج هذه الاتفاقية في عمل كافة الوحدات والهيئات في المؤسسة الأمنية وفي الجامعة العسكرية والأكاديمية والإدارية لتكون حساسة للنوع الاجتماعي من خلال تدريب الكوادر كافة، وأن يكون هذا التدريب أحد شروط الانخراط في هذه المؤسسة، ومعه تصبح جميع الهيئات مقاومة للتمييز وقادرة على خلق بيئة آمنة من قضايا العنف بشكل عام، وبالتالي لا بد من استحداث وحدات تقييم ومتابعة ورصد لكافة الانتهاكات، وبهذه الحالة يتم خلق مفاهيم مشتركة في جامعة الاستقلال والظهور بهوية واحدة أمام الطلبة، والحفاظ على المخرج، والحد من الاجتهاد على المستوى الشخصي والثقافة الشخصية لكل منتسب للجامعة وللعاملين كافة.
توصيات
وتمخض التدريب عن مجموعة من التوصيات منها
- ضرورة استمرار التواصل مع المؤسسة الأمنية، وبناء علاقة شراكة مبنية على أساس تبني الوصول للمساواة في الحقوق والواجبات
- بناء فهم وسياسة واضحة تتعلق بنبذ التمييز ضمن الفهم النظري والتطبيق على أرض الواقع.
- فهم أكبر لدور المؤسسة الأمنية في احترام وتطبيق القانون بغض النظر عن التوجهات الفردية لأفراده.
- ضرورةالعمل بشكل أكبر لبناء ثقافة حقوق الإنسان لدى طواقم وطلبة الجامعة وأفراد الأمن ضمن الممارسة اليومية
- بناء الهيكليات المبنية على العدالة والمشاركة.
- البناء على أهمية مشاركة النساء بشكل فاعل ومؤثر ضمن المؤسسات الأمنية وعلى كافة مستويات صنع القرار.
بدورها، قالت نجوى ياغي مسؤولة في وحدة التمكين والتدريب، يأتي هذا التدريب الذي تنفذ ه"مفتاح" بالتعاون والتنسيق مع منظمة أطفال الحرب الهولندية War Child، في اطار جهود مؤسسة مفتاح في تمكين وتعزيز القدرات المعرفية للأجهزة الأمنية حول اتفاقية (سيداو) والقرارات الأممية ذات الصلة بأجندة المرأة السلام والأمن بشكلِ يساند المؤسسات الرسمية والأمنية في الوقوقف عند التزاماتها اتجاه اتفاقيات حقوق انسان التي وقعت عليها دولة فلسطين إضافة الى تفعيل العمل بالقرارات الأممية ذات الصلة. كذلك تاتي هذه التدريبات فرصة لتعزيز فرص مشاركة النساء وتمثيلهن، ضمن قطاع الحماية والأمن في فلسطين، ومنها اتفاقية القضاء على كافة أشكال التمييز ضد المراة (سيداو) وتوصياتها العامة 30،32،25 والقرار الأممي 1325.
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.
