Ramallah – 27/4/2021 – MIFTAH Executive Director, Dr. Tahreer Al Araj, met on April 27, with Swedish Consul General Jessica Olausson and Gender and Program Manager Maria Ardaji at MIFTAH’s Ramallah office.

The meeting broached MIFTAH’s programs in general, and the latest developments pertaining to Palestinian elections, including the possibility of their postponement and the viewpoint of civil society on this. They also discussed the repercussions of a possible postponement in addition to MIFTAH’s interventions in the elections vis-à-vis capacity building for women candidates in the fields of media and public discourse.

Araj also showcased MIFTAH’s work on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the role of the Palestinian Women’s Coalition for the Implementation of UN Resolution 1325, including the most recent discussion on the coalition’s strategic plan. Furthermore, the meeting discussed presidential decree No. 7 regarding charitable associations and its implications for civil society, in addition to the Family Protection Law and MIFTAH’s related interventions. They spoke about the importance of having a gender committee within the PLC so that work on human rights is permanently conducted from a gender perspective and not only through seasonal campaigns.

The meeting also included a discussion between Ms. Olausson and Fatima Hammad, who received the first Folke Bernadotte Academy grant in the name of Swedish activist, Zaida Catalán, in cooperation with the Swedish Consulate and which focuses on the WPS agenda. The two discussed the nature of her work at MIFTAH, her research on forced displacement in Jerusalem and its impact on women within the realm of Resolution 1325, including Hammad’s understanding of the resolution through being at MIFTAH and the supportive environment it offers.