General Union of Palestinian Women

The National Strategy for the Advancement of Palestinian Women

C. Facilitating  Women Participation in Decision - Making:

Objectives:

1. To consolidate democracy within civil society institutions, (unions, federations, municipalities, parties) in order to ensure equal opportunities for women in establishing a democratic society in which equality and social justice prevail.

2. To raise the percentage of women participating in all aspects and levels of political life.

3. To consolidate participation of women in setting governmental policies  and or other decision - making processes.

Procedures:

1. To raise women's awareness of the importance of exercising their candidacy and voting rights as well as their right to decision - making posts.

2. To acknowledge the principle of gender equality in employment and promotion based on equal qualification  and degrees.

3. To open opportunities before women to assume public posts that have a role in setting national policies or strategies in the various fields.

4. To organize leadership training workshops for women to enable them to participate effectively in civil society institutions.

5. To carry out popular activities that raise general awareness of the importance of women's participation in decision - making.

6. To work towards a system of positive discrimination during the initial stages, as a means of eliminating discrimination against women and to increase women representation in the PNC, Legislative Council and local government bodies - municipalities and village councils.

7. To consolidate women's role in representing Palestine in regional,  Arab and international institutions.

8. To encourage exchange visits with various countries in order to learn about women's situations in other parts of the world and benefit from their positive experiences, and to encourage mutual exchange of women's programs through Arab and international
networks which aim at  advancing the situation of women.

9. To consolidate the relationship with the committee of the UN  Women's center, the UN Division on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the UN  Fund for the Development of Women and to provide these bodies with the information necessary for the support of Palestinian women.

2. In the Economic Realm:

Existing Problems: An overview

The Palestinian economy has been restricted and mutilated by Israeli occupation  policies which have enforced regulations and procedures with the aim of hindering and restructuring Palestinian economy  and keeping it  dependent on the Israeli economy. Denying the Palestinians  their political  rights, has been the central mechanism Israel has used to obstruct the Palestinians from exercising their economic rights. This prolonged state of affairs has resulted in a stunted Palestinian economy and a number of substantial obstacles including  impeding production, and hindering   direct relations with Arab and foreign economies. Furthermore, faced with limited work opportunities, a  high percentage of Palestinian workers were forced to emigrate to other countries while those who remained were forced to join the Israeli labor market for inferior jobs. Finally, the social and financial infrastructures were intentionally and systematically destroyed. This was reflected in the situation of women and  their weakened participation in economic activities in general, and in the labour force in particular. (11% of the labour force). Consequently most working women sought employment with unorganized sectors, which rendered them powerless to utilize available social, legal and developmental  services not withstanding that 25 percent of Palestinian families are supported by women.

Objectives:

1. To enable the Palestinian people to have sovereignty over their land and their natural and economic resources in order to start the process of comprehensive social and economic development and to rectify the Palestinian economic structure and link it to the global economy within direct and balanced relationships with the Arab world and the international community as a whole.

2. To consolidate women's economic rights and independence including appropriate work opportunities and conditions.

3. To establish a comprehensive developmental philosophy based on humanitarian, economic, social and political values within the Palestinian society.

4. To increase the number of  women within the labour force and to ensure gender equality in employment in all fields of work and production sectors.

5. To ensure working women's participation in professional and labour unions at all levels. and to find mechanisms that would enable women to be elected to leadership posts within their unions without prejudicing their jobs.

6. To provide rehabilitation and training services for women as well as access to resources and markets to increase their participation in the work force and in the gross national production and income.

7. To provide supporting services for working women.

8. To prepare social studies and research on the national level concerning poverty and to calculate the percentage of women within society sectors who are below the poverty line.

Procedures

1. To exert pressure over the government of Israel at all International Agencies to ensure Israel's commitment to all International resolutions in order to permit the Palestinian people to exercise sovereignty over their land and control over their natural and economic resources.

2. To exert pressure over the Israeli government in all international arenas to obligate it to adhere to the signed agreements  with the PLO and PNA and to adhere to the agreed time table and phases to enable the Palestinian people to rebuild and restore heir economic structures and freely establish direct economic relations with the Arab and other countries.

3. To consolidate women's economic rights through legal and institutional provisions that guarantee equal rights with men in wages, employment advancement and appointment on the basis of equal qualifications and equal social security and health services.

4. To establish follow up mechanisms to guarantee that all laws, regulations and orders stipulated by specialized bodies do not lead to gender discrimination; to propose legal statements that encourage women's involvement in the labour force and to      ensure their endorsement.

5. To involve women cadres working in various economic sectors, in setting policies and programs that ministries and private sector institutions formulate concerning industry, economy and finance.

6. To ensure equal opportunities for women to acquire professional training and continue training in all economic aspects on equal basis with men.

7. To support rural women endeavors to generate income and facilitate access to production resources, development and training programs,  as well as access to modern technology, and to provide programs that enable them to participate and compete in the local market.

8. To guarantee the essentials needed to back rural women's agricultural production, cattle and poultry, and to establish advisory centers for villagers and bedouins to improve their agricultural skills.

9. To establish mechanisms that support women's private work for obtaining credit and capital and one or more funds for women to provide them with loans.

10. To establish economic counseling and advisory centers to raise women's awareness in economic matters and to encourage women's initiatives in founding small cooperative and trade projects and to organize exhibitions and permanent azaars to market their products and goods and keep them in control of their products.

11. To provide mechanisms that guarantee women's rights regarding seasonal and uninstitutionalized jobs, (a field that employs a great number of women) and ensure that these jobs offer suitable employment conditions.
12. To establish a mechanism that provides the opportunity to elect women union members for leadership posts and to ensure employment protection for them.
13. To establish special programs for disabled women and to provide educational, training and job opportunities for them.