General Union of Palestinian Women

The National Strategy for the Advancement of Palestinian Women

The Social Dimension

Health - Education - girl/child

A. Health:

Existing Problems:

The political circumstances related to national issues of the Palestinian people and life under occupation and in camps outside Palestine have produced alarming repercussions on the social situation as a whole, and on the size of fundamental services specifically in the field of health care. This situation coincided with cuts in UNRWA services offered to Palestinian refugees living in camps, both in Palestine and abroad. Thus elemental mother and child health services became inadequate and the standard of preventive medical services in rural clinics declined. Furthermore, women's health situation has been negatively affected by the following factors: the prevalence of certain harmful social customs and traditions such as early marriage and child birth at home, the misconception in certain cases that women's health is merely related to reproduction, the inadequate coordinating mechanisms between the health services and the limited available statements related to women's health and women's mortality rate.

Objectives:

1. To increase the possibilities for women's access to health care throughout their life and have information and quality services within their financial means, and to develop
the health care infrastructure giving priority to remote rural areas.
2. To increase the number of specialized maternity and children's hospitals particularly in villages and densely populated areas and to undertake all possible procedures to achieve this objective.
3. To undertake curative initiatives that take into consideration particularities of the sexes for the cure of venereal diseases and sterility.
4. To increase the resources allocated for programs on women's health and to encourage research publications on this issue.
5. To raise the level of awareness of preventive medical health care and to take all steps towards this goal.
6. To develop better care for specific cases of disabled and elderly women.
7. To improve the standard of UNRWA health care services for Palestinian refugees in Palestine and abroad.

Procedures:

1. To improve the quality of health services for women for each phase of their life and spread health care centers in villages, camps and poor quarters of cities.
2. To establish mechanisms for coordination and cooperation between the Ministry of Health and other ministries, the UNRWA and all other organizations working in the field which would help spread health care centers in villages, communities and urban
quarters.
3. To carry out awareness campaigns with the aim of decreasing the percentage of intra family marriages and raising the minimal age of marriage.
4. To set health awareness programs on prevention of sexual diseases and to undertake initiatives for the cure of such diseases with consideration for particularities of each of the sexes
5. To support and develop courses on health education in school curricula.
6. To establish unified indicators on women's health as guidelines for health service bodies to comply with.
7. To organize and implement women's health service programs in coordination with the specialized health institutions.
8. To set special criteria and instructions for women vulnerable to occupational hazards.
9. To facilitate access to information and services for both husband and wife concerning family planning .
10. To provide rehabilitation and training centers for women with disabilities.
11. To provide old-age homes and recreation centers for elderly women in the Palestinian society.
12. To develop the skills and professional behavior of medical personnel.
13. To insure a periodic mammography and smear tests of the uterus for women over 40 years free of charge.