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The material posted here was provided to the Division for the 

Advancement of Women by the Government in response to a note 

verbale. It has being made available in electronic format from

the form received. 

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Subject

1. Introduction:

   Post-Beijing Conference
   Palestinian Governmental Plan of Action

2. Alleviating the Palestinian Woman's
   Burden of poverty

3. Educating and Training Palestinian
   women

4. Ensuring Palestinian Women's access to health services in
   all their life stages

5. Eliminating violence against the
   Palestinian woman

6. Armed conflict

7. Fostering women's economic independence and boostiong their abilities in the labor market

8. Guaranteeing the Palestinian woman's right to participate in the authority structure and the decision - making process

9. Establishing the institutional mechanisms to promote women's status.

10. Working toward the enhancement of women's rights as a part of the general human rights

11. Effective utilization of the media to accentuate the positive role of women in the society and to achieve gender equality

12. Women and their role in natural resources Management and environment
    preservation

13. Making efforts to eliminate discrimination against the girl child.

The preparatory period preceding the Fourth International Conference on Women held in Beijing provided an opportunity to intensify Palestinian activities designed to identify the major impediments facing the Palestinian woman and preventing the promotion of her status , and thereby to define the best strategies to cope with such impediments. These activities included workshops, seminars, meetings and a series of symposia in which a number of influential Palestinian men and women participated.

The preparatory period was marked by the attention given to such activities by Palestinian governmental entities , the media and non-governmental organizations, which found an appropriate forum during the Fourth International Conference on Women to throw light on the fundamental needs of women to be able to face the impediments standing in the way of their participation in the development process and the advancement of their status.

In the light of the Beijing Conference and the importance of its Declaration and International Platform for Action which encompassed specific tasks to be carried out by governments and follow the conference, and in the light of the national and regional documents approved during the preparatory period preceding Beijing, namely the Arab Regional and Palestinian Reports, steps began at the Palestinian governmental level to translate the International Platform for Action and the other documents into specific mechanisms and activities consistent with the Palestinian priorities and taking the national capabilities into consideration , by defining the objectives in each area and the tools needed toward their attainment.

In March 1996, a coordination Committee including representatives from the various competent ministries was formed to prepare the Palestinian Governmental Plan.

Members of the said committee were:

- Zahira Kamal, Director of Planning and Developing Women's Participation at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

- George Hanna, Director at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

- Aisha 'Ouda, Director of Women Development at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

- Tamadir Sawalma, Director of Women Affairs at the Ministry of Youth and Sports

- Dr. Susan 'Abdu, Director of Women and Family Health at the Ministry of Health

- Iman Jarar, Director of the Women Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture.

- Dr. Ibtisam Dahu, Director of Planning at the Ministry of Education.

- Dr. Juman Qaraman, Director of Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education

- Dr. Salma al-Barzi, Director of Research at the Ministry of Industry.

- Siham Barghouti, Director of Rural Development at the Ministry of local Government

- Sana' al-'Asi, Palestinian Central Bureau of Census and Statistics.

- Juliana Nayrouz, Chief of the Antiquities Division at the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

- Hala al-'Arif, Public Relation Chief at the Palestinian Radio and Television Service

- Walid Hallaqa, Environment Department Director at the Ministry of Planning & International Cooperation

The committee set a framework for its plan of action and held a series of meetings to define a basic plan direction guided by information from the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and based on the experience of other Arab countries which prepared their own plans. It also sought the expertise of Vira Nofel and Samia Bamia to re-arrange and formulate the Post-Beijing governmental plan of action Plan according to a model suggested by UNIFEM. The two experts effectively participated in the discussions designed to set the governmental plan of action to which the ministries will adhere, and to establish the mechanisms and measures needed for its implementation.

The interministerial coordination committee on the women's level will also follow up and coordinate the efforts to set realistic programs which should achieve the plan's objectives, and seek the required financing.

Workshops to discuss the post-Beijing Governmental Plan of Action :

During the 11-16 September 1996 period, eight workshops were held to discuss the governmental plan which dealt with nine areas of interest according to Beijing Platform for Action. One hundred fifty men and women representing the various competent ministries and relevant organizations attended (workshop program is attached).

Plans submitted and discussions conducted were marked by realism, and all plans focused on the major impediments to the advancement of women's status such as their insignificant participation at the decision-making level, the absence of legislations ensuring their rights and their weak participation in the organized economic activity , and the harmful social practices like early marriage. The plans also concentrated on several issues in each of the areas under discussion, through their specific plans.

The Plans were designed to underscore the importance of embodying the principles of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence which emphasizes that the "State of Palestine shall be for the Palestinians, wherever they may be,therein to develop their national and cultural identity and therein to enjoy full equality of rights. Their religious and political beliefs and human dignity shall therein be safeguarded under a democratic parliamentary system based on the freedom of opinion . . . . social justice, equality and non-discrimination in civil rights on grounds of race, religion or color or as between men and women, under a Constitution ensuring the rule of law and an independent judiciary . . . . . ."

All plans agreed on the importance of overcoming the impediments and on the need for encouraging women to participate in the organized economic activity, and for providing the required support and training. They also focused on the need for providing health care for women in all phases of their lives, and on the significance of developing the educational curricula into a national unified Palestinian curriculum which allows the upbringing of the new generations on democratic concepts that maintain the deserved respect for both men. and women . The plans emphasized the need for implementing mandatory education,with special consideration to the girl child ,and for working with legislative bodies to raise the marriage minimum age and enhancing the role of objective media in all aspects related to the advancement of the woman's status.

The plans also dealt with the mechanisms adopted by the government to give attention to the specific needs of women, by establishing women affairs offices at several ministries, and by expanding and reinforcing interministerial coordination. They registered the substantial development in the area of data collection by charging the Palestinian Central Bureau of Census and Statistics with data collection and gender classification, which will help to overcome one of the most serious obstacles- the lack of date on the woman's status.

The plans and workshops introduced some suggestions about the mechanisms needed for plan implementation, and pointed to the importance of the ministries approval of special appropriations within their budgets to advance the woman's status .

In this respect, the Planning and Women Participation Development Department at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation will make and exceptional effort to follow-up the implementation of the plan, and design indicators to measure the level of accomplishment, in cooperation with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Census and Statistics and the women studies centers

Finally, we thank the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) for its support of the Interministerial Committee, by both providing and exchanging the expertise and the financial needs for setting and discussing this plan. We also thank all participants in the workshops and those who contributed to the enrichment of this document.

Though the last two years have witnessed the beginning of the Palestinian National Authority's exercise of its responsibilities as set forth in the agreements between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government and in other agreements reached on later dates, fluctuations in the economic situation were substantial due to the Israeli policies during the same period.

Such policies, some of which were clearly in violation of the signed agreements, created an atmosphere which did not encourage economic activity and investment and thereby did not help in overcoming the severe crisis suffered by the Palestinian economy.

Specific emphasis should be placed on the closing of borders policy which was aggravated during the period that preceded the Israeli elections and continued after the new Israeli government came to power. This policy caused substantial damage to the emerging Palestinian economy and increased unemployment among Palestinians, and the most affected by such policy were the poorest in the Palestinian society.

The fact that women in general, and the young, disabled, imprisoned, family supporter and the elderly women in particular are among the most vulnerable to disadvantages, as a result of poverty and unemployment, taking into consideration the high rate of Palestinian families dependent on women (especially in the West Bank), accentuates the importance of giving special attention to the woman's status within the scope of the general national effort to cope with poverty, and to put forward general national development plans focusing on the human being and aiming at building a society based on equality and social justice , where women can participate in the development process and benefit from its outcome.

(Problems Facing the Development Plan)

- The effect on the Palestinian society caused by the Israeli occupation policies which prevented its development in all aspects, particularly the economy , affecting the lives of both men and women , and women participation was almost non-existent.

- The fluctuations by which the Israeli policies were characterized, and which affected the ability of the authorities to predict the local conditions and the determinants in the months (or years) ahead, complicated the planning process and plan execution and,in turn, prevented the maximum utilization of efforts and financial support by international entities to the development process in Palestine.

- The policy of frequent closing of borders exercised by the Israeli Government, escalated during the period preceding the Israeli elections and continued when Benjamin Netanyahu government gained power.

Lack of women participation in making policies

- The effect on poor women by the disabling factors created by poverty and the social habits and traditions which impede their advancement.

- Insignificant women influence in putting forward the kind of policies which ensure women's participation in all development plans and programs.

- Women's participation in reviewing the current policies in ministries and other governmental entities and in adopting new policies is still in its inception, and has not yet expanded to include all areas and ministries which can influence women's status and the instruments of their advancement.

Statistics

- Lack of statistics which can define the poverty level and the percentage of population below that level in Palestine.

- Lack of statistical data about women with regard to the extent of their gains from the currently applied development plans and programs.

- Lack of gender classification in previous statistics -though the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics had adopted such classification.

Lack of mechanisms

- Lack of mechanisms needed for the advancement of women's status and providing legal protection for women .

- Lack of human resources specialized in womwn affaires and development .

- Weak utilization by women of the available credit programs and financial services in general .

- Weak participation by women at the various levels of decision - making .

Women in rural areas

- the advancement of women living in rural areas were not given its due consideration , especially since the rural woman performs about 60 - 70 percent of the farming work in the rural Palestinian areas .

- Women in rural areas do not control the resources including those they share their ownership.

- the low level of education acquired by women in rural areas .

Current measures and directions of the national Action plans Objectives

At the social level:

- Paying attention to the poor women in the Camps and in inner cities and rural areas .

- Defining the problems suffered by women and their precise causes, and bringing them to the spotlight in order to find solutions.

- Allowing poor women to play a role in the development process, encouraging their independent work and developing their family and community status.

- Adopting concepts based on gender non-discrimination and consideration of the status and needs of both sexes in the governmental policies and programs aiming at comprehensive development.

- Enhancing coordination and cooperation with the governmental , international and private entities working in the area of development.

- Developing the social legislation to provide better care for women.

- Educating people about women's rights and simplifying the laws and legislations.

- Encouraging the establishment of community institutions which give attention to the advancement of women, and creating the required coordinating mechanisms.

Rural women

- Collecting and documenting statistical gender - classified data , and conducting studies of the problems impeding the development of rural women in farming.

- Planning rural development in a manner which pays attention to the rural women's needs.

- Allowing women 's participation in planning the major development policies.

- Raising the productivity of rural women, and promoting agricultural consultations and training in all the rural areas.

- Integrating the agricultural guidance programs with the population awareness and family planning programs.

- Developing the rural woman's skills to improve her income and family standard of living and nutrition.

- Encouraging rural women to form cooperatives and join their memberships.

- Boosting women's participation in environmental education.

- Cooperating and coordinating with non-governmental organizations working toward the advancement of rural women.

- Encouraging local community participation in planning and supervision of the execution of developmental projects.

- Introducing changes in the economic structures to allow all women to access resources, opportunities and civil services.

- Enabling women to benefit from credit programs

- Alowing women living in rural areas and in the the Camps and remote areas to participate in the tourist industry.

Measures related to social care:

- Taking action to provide accurate statistical data on poverty among women, in collaboration with the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics.

- Conducting objective social studies to detect the problems suffered by women and their causes, and to throw light thereon to find solution.

- Making efforts to provide a data base, on poor women in particular, to include statistics, data and studies which help in defining the needs and the realistic capabilities to satisfy them .

- Developing vocational training centers and expanding their capacity to make room for limited- income women as the labor market may need , in coordination with the Ministry of Labor.

- Developing The Training Program at the social rehabilitation centers.

- Organizing training courses and rehabilitating poor women to help them finding better job opportunities.

- Conducting training courses for advisors at the social affairs departments and at the Ministries of Agriculture and Education to develop their skills and sharpen their sensitivity to the needs and priorities of poor women they may work with.

- Putting forward projects for the Women Development Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs designed to provide job opportunities for women.

- Studying and analyzing social legislations affecting women's life.

- Organizing seminars at the training centers to educate the participants about women's rights.

- Maintaining communications with the available institutions to provide guidance for women.

- Supporting mothers and housewives in raising their children in a manner based on understanding and respect.

Statistics

- Organizing workshops to the employees of the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics to explain the importance of producing gender- classified statistics for the sound development planning processes.

Role of the Ministries of Agriculture and Education in advancing rural women

- Opening guidance offices in all rural areas to provide:

• Guidance and training and rehabilitation services assistance.
  
• Job opportunities Assistance
  
• Credits
  
• Advice in marketing

1. Lectures on plant production
   
2. Lectures on animal production
   
3. Food-processing industry
   
4. Demonstrations of plant and animal production (milk-processing and milk by-products)
   
5. Lectures related to health education

The Apicultural Project

The Farming and Animal Production Project

The Sage and Medicinal Herb Production Project

- Collecting available data and studies about the status of women in agriculture.

- Training women agronomists to develop their skills (in coordination with the Director General for Guidance and Training at the Ministry of Agriculture).

- Holding workshops to discuss women's problems in agriculture and to study the current situation to reach conclusions about a strategic plan of action (in coordination with non-governmental organizations and agencies involved in the area of women and agriculture).

- Releasing advisory bulletins.

Role of the Local Government Ministry

- Raising the awareness of the municipal and village council representatives to adopt the proper means to respond to women's needs.

- Forming women committees to follow up women's activities at the scene and to boost women's organizations operating in rural areas.

- Allowing the participation of rural women in training programs aiming at the introduction of technology in agriculture.

- Facilitating women's access to agricultural credit unions

- Facilitating rural women's access to marketing networks.

- Collecting data and information concerning women and agriculture.

- Implementing the Women's Farming Credit Project.

Role of the Ministry of Tourism

(page 27)

Studying the conditions of women in rural areas, Camps and remote sites to define and classify the potential job opportunities in the tourist industry.

- Organizing educational courses and programs for women of low-level of education to teach them simple crafts and manual works , considered to be an important component of the tourist industry, such as pottery, straw products, embroidery, traditional food-processing industries and natural medicinal cosmetics, and expanding this line of works to become commercial.

Difficulties and obstacles

- The social customs and traditions preventing women's development.

- Lack of a qualified functional cadre to perform the required duties.

- Lack of adequate data and studies about poverty and poor women in Palestine , and how to deal with them in the current development programs.
- Lack of material resources.

- Insignificant attention by the media to poor women and to spotlighting their problems.

- High rate of illiteracy among females in rural areas.

- Female dropping out from school in rural areas .

- Inadequacy of laws supporting women's participation in the labor market.

Projections

General

- Available data and studies which help in defining the extent of the poverty problem and in planning the tools to reduce its severity.

- Available adequate data base about the number of poor and limited-income families.

Social care

- A number of poor and limited-income women will be trained and rehabilitated and job opportunities will be .

- The status of women working in the services sector, in terms of their job environment and familial life will be boosted .

- A number of projects will be financed .

- Available women social centers in at least two regions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Rural women

- Improvement of productivity and performance among women working in agriculture.

- Higher income for rural women and their families.

- Better nutritional level of families living in rural areas .

- Development of awareness in family economy.

Definition of competent authorities to implement the plans

Social care

The competent department at the Ministries of Social Affairs, Labor, Health, Education, Information, Youth and Sports, Planning and International Cooperation

The Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, associations adopting development program and UNRWA.

Rural women

The competent bodies at the Ministries of Agriculture, Local Government, Social Affairs, Labor, Education, Health, Information, The Women Unit at the Rural Development Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, the Environmental Department at the Ministry of Planning an International Cooperation, non-governmental organizations operating in rural areas and UNRWA.

Targeted groups

Recipients of services

Poor women in cities, rural areas, Camps and nomads, especially families dependent on women, unemployed young women, school drop-outs, recipients of social welfare and workers in the field of social care.

Service Providers

Employees at all directorates of the Ministries of Agriculture and Social Affairs, members of the municipal and village councils, and women's organizations operating in rural areas.

Available supporting factors

- Cooperation among the various departments, agencies, directorates and training centers.

- The activity of non-governmental organizations in this field.

- Potential utilization of Palestinian and international media.

- A worldwide trend to combat poverty.

Institutional capabilities needed to support the program

- Establishing and expanding the interministerial coordination mechanism.

- Establishing a mechanism to coordinate between the ministries and the local, national and international non-governmental organizations.

- Recruiting a qualified cadre for the women's affairs units at the concerned ministries and begin services .

- Conducting the necessary studies.

- Providing support and financing.

- Maintaining vital information activity

Human Capabilities required to support the program

- A qualified cadre at the Ministry of Social Affairs and its social care centers .

- A qualified cadre at the Ministry of Agriculture and its women's guidance centers and at other concerned ministries having relevant functions.

Program management at the national level

Establishing a national committee to combat women's poverty at the various ministries, with a major role to be played by the Ministries of Social Affairs and Agriculture, in addition to UNRWA and the non-governmental organizations operating in the field.

Upon the change of authority and turning educational supervision from the Israeli civil service to the Palestinian Ministry of Education , the latter faced several problems in this field resulting from long years of occupation and negligence.

Problems facing development plans based on gender equality in education and training

1. Dropping-out from schools .

a. The frequent closure of schools during the occupation and the Intifada led to a substantial number of dropouts of both sexes, and the deterioration of the level of education .
However, the Ministry of Education is currently preparing the grounds for a study classified according to gender , age group and level of education to help detecting the reasons behind dropping out from both school and society, so as to set a program to include female dropouts in the education and training process.

b. The deteriorated economic conditions ($800 annual per capita income in the West Bank and $600 in Gaza) resulting in an increasing number of dropouts from schools, including young children.

According to the UNICEF report issued in August 1996, forty four percent of Gaza children became workers including 30% in Mechanics and automobile lubrication, and 8% dropped out from schools in violation of the Primary Education Mandatory law . The Ministry of Education is introducing a proposal to be discussed with all concerned entities about a mechanism to help implementing this law.

c. Early marriage is considered another reason for girls to drop out from school. About 40% of teenagers, mostly in rural areas , have become wives and mothers before they complete their education or learn an occupation .

2. The significant shortage in the number of schools, particularly in rural areas, constituted a strong reason for girls to drop out from school. The 1990 UNESCO Report showed that 11% of 397 villages in the West Bank had no schools, and only 130 villages had primary schools.

3. Schools are overcrowded, and most UNRWA and public schools work two shifts (, 3-4 hours of daily 40 - minute sessions ). It is worth noting that these schools absorb 31% and 61% of students of both sexes successively in the West Bank and Gaza, representing the greater body of students ..

Though the Ministry of Education has built 1041 new classrooms and hired 2750 men and women teachers of whom 550 for Gaza, the long negligence of schools by the Israeli civil service, and the high rate of population growth makes it more difficult to satisfy the educational needs.

4. A long-lasting lack of rehabilitation and training programs for teachers to modernize improve the educational tools , which requires exceptional efforts on the part of the Ministry of Education to rehabilitate teachers -- a task it took upon itself since it assumed its responsibilities.

5. The curricula remained unmodernized. The Jordanian curriculum is still taught in the West Bank, and the Egyptian's in Gaza. But the Palestinian Center for Curricula Development is planning a unified curriculum for the Palestinians.

6. Vocational training of girls is still limited and traditional. With regard to student distribution according to gender, the 1995/96 school year statistics show that girls in the vocational secondary schools continue to select the traditional occupations -- commerce and nursing. It is worth noting that girls constitute 13% of students enrolled in vocational schools.

7. Lack of specific information about the illiteracy and semi-illiteracy rate among girls and women according to age groups , social status and acquired skills

Current directions of the national action plans in education and training

- Addressing the problem of school shortage and classroom overcrowdedness, by building new schools and maintaining old ones. In this respect, the Ministry of Education built 7 new schools and 433 classrooms mostly in rural areas (107 for boys and 141 for girls,

and 85 mixed) and provided maintenance for 207 schools. In pursuing its policy of school development in rural areas and remote villages with emphasis on girl education, the Ministry opened 1041 learning facilities (476 for girls, 419 for boys and 146 mixed).

It is working toward its target of providing a primary school in every village or population concentration by the year 2000.

- Develop the quality of education , modernizing its tools, and diversifying vocational education.

Objectives

1- Attacking the dropping out problem and reducing the illiteracy rate among females.

2- Making efforts to identify the obstacles that prevent women integration on equal footing with men in all areas of education and training (as students and teachers), and taking appropriate measures to ensure equal educational, training and job opportunities.

3- Encouraging girls to join existing educational disciplines ( agriculture, industry and hotels ) in which they showed no interest in the past .

4- Establishing new educational disciplines in the various technological, professional and scientific fields.

5- Developing and unifying the curricula, and introducing new gender- sensitive concepts such as equality, democracy, human rights, civil service, environmental protection, health and life-style skills,

6- Increasing the number of women occupying decision-making positions in the educational system and within the Ministry.

Measures

In addressing the problems of dropping out and withdrawal from school to block the illiteracy source:

a. new schools and classrooms in the existing schools should be built to reduce overcrowdedness, while giving priority to new classrooms for girls in the rural areas.

b. education improvement policy should be pursued to overcome the problem of low educational level.

c. a mechanism to enforce the Primary Education Mandatory Law should be created , to cooperate with the concerned authorities at the decision-making level and in cooperation with organizations influencing the public opinion.

d. extra-curricular activities should be introduced and education should be linked to everyday need of girl students .

e. cooperation with the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics should be sought to provide data on the number of children of various age groups enrolled in primary schools every year as well as the number of primary school-age children , so that the Ministry of Education prepares for their admission.

f. training programs should be designed , educational materials updated and the men and women teachers tools should be modernized in order to improve the quality of education and provide better opportunity for success in learning.

g. legislators sould be urged to raise the marriage age for girls.

h. awareness and guidance programs should be introduced , in collaboration with the media and women's associations to explain the detrimental effects of early marriage on women's health, standard of living and career.

i. attention to special education sould be given , particularly to programs designed for the disabled, who should be integrated with other students in schools, and the systems and means to achieve such goal shoud be provided .

j. the illiteracy problem should be faced by bringing the universities and concerned organiizations to work together in this field .

2. In maintaining equal opportunity to acquire skills and training:

a. witrh regard to girl students:

1. Making efforts to introduce remote education programs for women whose education was interrupted and who wish to continue their education.

2. Providing informal education, especially for rural women, in health and agriculture, in cooperation with the concerned ministries and voluntary associations.

3. Giving attention to school guidance and information to urge girl students to join the existing vocational fields (industrial, agricultural and technological) and maintaining the appropriate facilities (dormitories -- transportation).

4. Calling upon the Ministries of Education and Higher Education to adopt new vocational and technological branches of education.

5. In this respect, the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism suggests the following in its plan:

- Introducing Tourism and antiquity curricula to school students of both sexes.

- Establishing a new specialization for antiquities and encourage girl students to join them.

- Making efforts to find the required financing for women graduate studies grants to specialize in Tourism and antiquity sciences.

- In its plan, The Ministry of Health suggests cooperation with the Ministry of Education to encourage women to study medical and health disciplines and to consider working in medical and health care services, through introducing educational programs to boost training of human resources needed in this field ( licensed midwives, physicians and guides).

- Conducting studies to determine the aptitude and inclination of girl students toward the suggested fields.
-Establishing interministerial (Education, Health, Tourism, Industry and Agriculture Ministries) committees to inform the girl students about work requirements in each field, and opening a credit fund capable of providing job opportunities for graduates who are attracted to vocational education.

b. With regard to the educational system :

1. Ensuring women's participation in all training programs and scholarships to build the Ministry's women's cadre and develop its capabilities.

2. Forming a committee of lawyers of both sexes and women experts, in coordination with the competent authorities, to review the institutions laws and regulations to ensure non-discrimination against women and equal opportunity with men, and the enforcement of regulations including social security, dependent allowances in families dependent on women and equal indemnity for women employees heirs.

3. Offering women a three- month maternity leave, and the right to take one hour per day to feed her child.

4. Ensuring the delivery of correspondence, instructions and announcements on job opportunities to both men and women.

3. The role of curricula in establishing equality concepts:

1. Rewriting textbooks to endorse the principle of equality and human rights, by using the kind of language, expressions and drawings which help in establishing equality and underscoring the positive and effective role of women in the society, and urging the competent authorities to allow womento participate in this task .

2. Adding community education to the primary school curriculum.

3. Boosting health and life-style awareness programs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

4. Initiating curricula for the newly suggested fields in vocational education .

5. Introducing a program for continuing education at the men and women teachers colleges.

4.With regard to public opinion :

- Encouraging authors and writers of both sexes to write about various subjects to implant the principle of equal rights of men and women.

- Setting health, social and legal education programs of interest to women in their every day activities.

- Holding seminars and issuing newsletters about the role of women in the society , and conducting studies to pinpoint the role of Palestinian women through history, to enhance their confidence in their values.

the printed, audio and visual media play an important role in forming a public opinion about the debated problems and in establishing the new concepts.

- Reinforcing the role of community centers such as the mosques, churches and associations in various fields of life.

Difficulties and obstacles:

- Financial resources : The importance of appropriating adequate funds for reform and development, with special budget allocations to satisfy women needs in education and training.

- The need for building a data base about women to help in formulatingpolicies for intervention in terms of its level and areas.

- Lack of a mechanism to monitor reforms and the educational arrangements taken by the competent ministries.

- Lack of child care services which enable women to continue their education, training and work.

Projections

1. Reduction of the rate of dropouts and withdrawals from schools.

2. Improving educational performance.

3. Establishing a supreme national commission to combat illiteracy and to set priorities for intervention , according to age groups targeted for literacy.

4. Enhancing rural women performance in work and in their community role.

5. Attracting young women to join the various vocational and technical fields of education.

6. Changing the society's view of women's role to a positive one.

7. Raising the percentage of women at the decision and policy -making positions in education.

Competent authorities implementing the plans:

Education, Higher Education, Social Affairs, Agriculture, Health, Labor, Local Government and Youth and Sport Ministries and the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics.

Targeted groups:

- Legislative, political and administrative decision- makers .

- Parents.

- Women and men Teachers

- Working women

- Experts in program planning

- The media.

- Women organizations

Institutional capabilities:

- The Ministry set a strategy and an action plan for its various departments.

- The Ministry lacks the necessary financial resources to build schools in the rural and urban areas and to modernize their tools to meet the Palestinian society's needs.

Human resources capabilities:

- The Ministry has a number of experienced cadres and so have the educational institutions, UNRWA and private schools, whose services can be sought in a mobilization effort to raise the level of the Palestinian education which was a source of national pride .

- Men and women teachers need various training courses whether in educational tools or in the area of democracy and equality concepts in education that lead to abolishing discrimination against women in the society.

Program management at the national level :

Forming a national commission for women education, in which the Ministries of Education, Higher Education, Labor, Social Affairs and Health and Illiteracy Elimination Program are represented are represented, to pursue women education and monitor the activities of organizations operating in this field in Palestine.

The governmental sector (previously reporting to the Israeli civil service), UNRWA (within the Camps), the private sector and the non-governmental organizations. The Palestinian Authority has appropriated $107 million for the Ministry of Health this year (1996), representing an increase of $47 million over 1994. The Ministry has set a plan to develop the infrastructure at a 33% increase every year. It also absorbed 1500 new employees including physicians, administrators and workers. That is an increase of 3?% in staff to overcome the serious shortage of hospitals and health care centers.

With regard to health insurance, the Ministry of Health reduced the premiums by 40% compared to the years of occupation. This led to an increase in the number of insured families from 17 - 23% during the occupation to about 45% under the Palestinian Authority.

Definition of problems

1. Inefficient coordination mechanism among the various entities providing health services.

2. Limited available data about the specific diseases suffered by women and the mortality rate, creating an obstacle for proper planning and policy making.

3. Low level of preventive services at rural clinics.

4. The concept of women health has often been limited to reproductive health.

5. Limited number of women participating in the decision-making process.

6. Poor standard of living.

7. Population density, particularly in Gaza, with a high enough growth rate to constitute a challenge to development plans, especially with an occupation policy that continues to deprive the Palestinian people from investing their natural resources.

8. Lack of standards and specifications for women's exposure to occupational hazards.

Current directions of the national action plans for women's health

The current directions of the National Health Plan focus on upgrading the services offered at the existing

facilities in order to develop their quality, update the information available for health practitioners and boost their skills, reinforce new human resources training and develop plans to carry out health care projects which satisfy women's needs in their various life stages and to initiate family planning services.

Objectives

In Planning:

1. Strategic planning for women's health, in coordination with all concerned authorities at the Ministry of Health.

2. Establishing a mechanism for coordination and cooperation between the Ministry of Health and other ministries, United Nations organizations and non-governmental organizations offering health services as well as women committees, with regard to developing and executing special programs for women's health and development.

3. Mobilizing resources pertinent to women's health.

4. Empowering working women in medical care.

In Services:

1. Improving the quality of health services offered for women according to their life stages.

2. Developing a mechanism to monitor health services in order to raise their quality.

3. Improving the behavior of employees performing health services and regular updating their information .

4. Setting unified indicators for women's health (diseases and health) to which health providers should be committed and on which policies are based.

5. Setting standards and specifications regarding women's protection from occupational hazards such as chemical and physiological pollutants.

6. Reinforcing family planning as a social concept and integrating it within the as the primary and secondary health care services.

7. Developing a system to deal with families at a high risk.

Health education:

- Providing information concerning women's health.

- Supporting and boosting recently initiated health education.

- Developing women's awareness programs at all concerned ministries and community institutions.

Measures:

In Planning :

1. Conducting field surveys to support a comprehensive direction toward the services sector.

2. Developing an information system concerning women's health, by establishing special research, information and project units at the department level.

3. Building a data base to analyze such indicators and to trace health intervention effecton mortality and morbidity rates, in order to define the needs in the area of health care.

Women empowerment :

1. Supporting the promotion of health practitioners to the decision-making level.

2. Establishing mechanisms that help to raise the professional standard of women human resources working in the health sector.

3. Developing supporting mechanisms for working women at The Ministry of Health, such as at child care centers, extending the maternity leave and allowing feeding mothers to take one hour a day and to perform part time work to enable them to pursue their careers.

4. Allowing women to share the training opportunities which are available at both the local and oversees levels.

5. Cooperating with the Ministry of Education to encourage women to join medical and health education programs and to consider working in the health and medical care field, by introducing training for the new needed human resources ( licensed midwives, physicians and guides)

In Services:

1- Reaching agreements with the United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to adopt and make the following services available to the public : :

-Providing prenatal, delivery and postnatal care, introducing family planning to all health care facilities, hospitals and social services centers and developing services in the area of reproductive health.

2. Conducting the required studies and developing a data base to evaluate the quality of services and the available facilities, equipment and human resources.

3. Strengthening the kind of mechanism which allows multiple health services (psychological, legal, social) when health care is provided.

4. Requiring a pre-marriage medical examination certificate.

In Family planning :

The Ministry of Health has set a family planning program within its list of priorities and the framework of its resolutions to extend such services to the largest possible sectors of the population, to integrate them with the primary preventive services, to improve service quality and to provide contraceptives at token prices. Such services were already initiated and performed by trained cadres at 13 governmental centers in the West Bank and 11 in Gaza .

- Facilitating husband and wife access to family planning information and various services.

Health education :

- Establishing an information center at the Women Health and Development Department to respond to the needs of all media and educational entities concerned with women health, through cooperation with all information and educational associations and international agencies , to support the program with periodical information material .

- Supporting and developing health and life-style educational programs within the curricula .

- Contributing to the development of health information and education to boost the knowledge and skill of all cadres working in the field of women health and development.

- Establishing coordination between the various departments at the United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations and women groups to disseminate accurate information.

- Raising the level of awareness about the importance of activities in the area of information through the various media , workshops and posters to publicize health information and guidance.

- Conducting studies to evaluate media activities in advocating women health and defining their needs, and to measure the effect of such medial on the targeted population.

Difficulties and obstacles

- Early marriage resulting in early pregnancy with harmful implications to women's physical and psychological well-being. Sixty-two percent of females - according to the Report of the European Group for the Mediterranean Department ( February of 1995) - married before they reached the age of twenty and 23 percent married at sixteen or below. The mortality rate among mothers was 40-60% per 100,000 of live births, and pregnancy was the second or third leading cause of death among women in reproductive age.

- Traditions which consider talking about sexual diseases a taboo.

- The high population growth rate and the poor standards of living and economic conditions.

Projections :

- An increase in the number of women health professionals in decision and policy-making positions and at the various health care centers.

_ A quality improvement in health services, with special attention given to rural areas and the Camps.

- A decrease in the mortality rate because of maternity and delivery - related diseases .

- Better public awareness of the health benefits of spacing between births to the mother and child as well as to social development.

- A reduction in the number of early marriages among first class relatives.

- A reduction in the number of marriages under 18

Competent authorities to execute the plans:

Health, Education, Information, Youth and Sports, Social Affairs, Justice and Labor Ministries and agencies and institutions operating in the field of women health.

Targeted groups:

- Men and women working in the field of health care.

- Women at the various age stages.

- social awareness staff.

- Schools.

Available supporting elements

The availability of a plan set by the Ministry of Health to develop women medical services, and a special department for women health and development.

Institutional and Human capacities :

A Network of governmental and non-governmental institutions already exists, but it needs development in areas such as equipment and qualified cadres and the establishment of a coordination mechanism.

National program management :

A supreme national commission in which the Ministry of Health and institutions operating in the health field are represented should be formed.

The worst form of violence against Palestinian women was that which was committed and is still exercised by the Israeli occupation forces wherever they operate.

The occupation atmosphere and its violent exercises had direct victims (prisoners and physically disabled women, and those who were physically and psychologically handled and abused) and indirect victims as a result of the spread of violent behavior in all aspects of life (school, street and home).

The other side of violence inflicted upon the Palestinian women was that from within the community itself -- and in most cases -- even within a single family. Until recently, however, this phenomenon remained greatly undetected and had not received the due attention and challenge.

Problems faced by the development plans:

- The prevailing social values are still standing in the face of a public acknowledgment of the presence of a violence phenomenon against women and girls within the family, and thereby taking the appropriate remedial measures.

- The laws and criminal violations are still unclear when they deal with violence against women or girls within the family.

- Penalties imposed on those who practice violence against women are not enforced.

- Lack of adequate centers to provide care for violence victims, especially in the family.

- Lack of adequate attention by the media to the violence phenomenon.

Objectives:

- Publicizing women rights and simplifying laws and regulations, in cooperation with the non-governmental organizations operating in this field.

- Providing care for women victims of violence practiced by the occupation forces.

- Providing psychological and legal advice to women an children who are exposed to violence.

_ Establishing an education based on human rights and democratic principles.

- Providing special care for physically or mentally disabled women, who are mostly exposed to family and community violence.

- Making efforts to change stereotypes against women and instead creat positive image focusing on women as full citizens .

- Providing care for girls and women who are the victims of violent acts and abuse , to integrate them into the society in a meaningful way and seeking legislation an mechanisms to protect women.

- Developing legislation to provide better care for women,

Current measures and directions of the national action plans :

- Taking action to establish centers to protect women who are subjected to violence, and to offer them psychological, legal and professional guidance.

- Developing and training a specialized cadre to deal with family violence and violence against women.

- Supporting and encouraging upbringing on the basis of the concepts of democracy, equality, understanding and respect.

- Encouraging education which is based on democracy and equality.

- Supporting organizations which provide car for girls and women exposed to violence.

- Establishing institutions to provide care for girls and women exposed to violence .

- Reviewing and analyzing the legislation which affect women's life and introducing proposals about their amendment to the competent governmental authorities.

- Holding seminars at training centers and institutions in cooperation with the competent agencies, to educate the participants about women's rights and to explain the provisions of laws and regulations,and issuing relevant publications .

Difficulties and impediments:

- The ambiguity of the applicable laws about violence against women and penalties on offenders.

- Lack of adequate information about the number of acts of violence against women (ranging from assault and rape to violence within the family and in the workplace)

Projections:

- Acknowledging the problem and the importance of the competent authorities bearing of responsibility for providing care for women subjected to violence.

- Publicizing the perception that violence against women within the family constitutes a violation of their rights.

- Establishing centers to provide care and moral support for women to stand against violence practiced against them within their families.

- Directing women to contact legal guidance centers and competent authorities diretly to file complaints related to violence committed against them.

Definition of competent authorities responsible for plan implementation:

- Social Affairs, Interior, Information, Labor (Legal Opinion and Legislation Department), Youth and Sports, Education and Health Ministries, and the concerned non-governmental organizations.

Targeted groups and their responsibilities

- Women subjected to violence committed by the occupation forces.

- Women with disabilities.

- Women and girls exposed to family and community violence.

- Men and women working in information / education at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

- Those who formulate the new legislation and the members of the legislature.

- Police officers.

Available supporting elements

- The society and the Palestinian institutions are already giving attention to women subjected to violence on the hands of the occupation forces.

- Attention by non-governmental organizations is already geared to the issue of violence against women.

Institutional capabilities required to support the program

- Establishing an interministerial coordination mechanism, and cooperating with private organizations operating in the field contribute to the crystallization of an integrated action program to address and cope with the problem.

- Creating forms of cooperation between all governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations working toward the elimination of violence against women.

- Creating a mechanism at the Ministry of Education to educate the participants about the democratic principles and the rights of the child and human rights.

Establishing a unit at the Ministry of Youth and Sports to address youth problems , particularly those related to violence against them and to implant an education based of democracy on human rights.

Human capabilities required to support the program

- Officials at the centers providing care for women subjected to violence.

- Media programs designers who are aware of the size and extent of the problems.

- Well-informed jurists who are willing to offer advice to women.

Program management at the national level

- A coordination mechanism including representatives from the Social Affairs, Education, Labor, Interior, Youth and Sports Ministries and the concerned non-governmental organizations.

The creation of the State of Israel uprooted and dispersed the larger part of the Palestinian population in 1948 and 1967. Furthermore, the policy of land confiscation and building of settlements led to the Palestinian internal migration within their homeland. As a human being, the Palestinian woman suffered the consequences of the occupation policies which, deprived her of her freedoms as a prisoner or led to the loss of a member of her family.

With the possible appearance of a possible solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by means other than armed struggle, the Palestinian woman licked her wounds and effectively joined the Palestinian team to the peace negotiations, and participated in the technical committees formed to support them. She also geared her energy toward the construction process, hoping that she will bring up the new generation under the umbrella of a state which makes her dreams of freedom and identity come true.

After three years of signing the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements, which represented the recognition of the two direct parties in the conflict of each other and of negotiations as a mechanism to solve the disputed issues, however, the Palestinian people are still suffering from the continuation of the occupation policy which constitutes an impediment to all attempts for construction and development.

The mentality of the occupation still dominates the Israeli decision. The blockage and starvation policy is still applied, and the land, which is the core of the struggle,is still expropriated and confiscated, and so is the policy of frequent closure of borders and isolation of regions, which creates an obstacle in the face of the attempts to complete the infrastructure and prevents the implementation of effective development programs.

The Israeli Government's swerving implementing what was agreed upon, the lack of a rapid transition to the final agreement negotiations and the continuation of the unilateral fait accompli policy by confiscating more land and expanding the construction of settlements especially in Jerusalem which both parties agreed to be included in the final agreement negotiations agenda, threaten the entire peace process. Peace is not possible with the deprivation of the inalienable Palestinian right of self-determination, with the continuation of usurping their human rights and blocking their efforts to build and with denying their right to utilize their resources.

the suffering of the Palestinian woman on the social and economic fronts has increased in an epoch assumed to be an epoch of peace.

Today, she has to fight her battles on more than one front. On one hand she has to resist all aspects and consequences of occupation, and on the other hand she has to fight for building and development and establishing her rights in a civil society which is founded under complicated and prejudiced political and economic circumstances.

Definition of problems

- The reluctance of the Israeli side to implement what was agreed upon with the Palestinian side, and its practice of imposing a fait accompli policy, and thereby doing injustice to the final solution results especially with regard to Jerusalem.

- The settlement policy.

- The border closure policy.

- Lack of trust between the two Palestinian and Israeli nations in conflict.

Current directions of the action plans

General objectives

- Putting an end to the Israeli occupation, and the Palestinians exercise of their rights of self-determination and return to their homeland.

- Exercising the Palestinian nation's sovereign right over Jerusalem.

- Bringing peace to the region on the basis of the principles agreed upon in the peace process: Land for peace, and the implementation of Resolutions 242 and 338.

Developing the mechanisms of the joint Arab action.

Direct objectives

- Exercising pressure to execute the signed step by step agreements.

- Releasing all men and women prisoners of war.

- Lifting the border closure imposed on the Palestinians.

- Putting an end to building of settlements.

- Allowing free access to Jerusalem.

Measures

- inviting the cosponsors of the Peace Initiative and the parties concerned with the peace process as well as the international community to intervene:

- to force the Israeli side to implement the signed agreements.

- to stop building of settlements and confiscation of Palestinian land which threaten the peace process.

- to lift the border closure imposed upon the Palestinian

people, which not only blocks the execution of the development program, but to the contrary leads to the deterioration of the economic conditions and the standard of living.

- to call upon the Arab and international women organizations to conduct campaigns calling for the release of all prisoners of war especially women.

- to invite the Israeli women who support peace to conduct activities within their community to condemn the Israeli violations of the peace agreements and to intensify their effort , in cooperation with the Palestinian women to spread and establish a peace culture.

- The continuation of occupation in its various colors does not allow the just and comprehensive peace in the region. This will require an intensive Arab international and Israeli peace camp efforts to end occupation, by pressing the Israeli Government to adhere to the goal of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

of families dependent on women, especially in the West Bank, underscores once again the importance of studying women's needs for job opportunities and participation in the economic activity, and taking such needs into consideration in planning development programs.

Problems facing the development plans

1. The Palestinian society was affected by the Israeli occupation policies which hindered the community's development in all areas, particularly in the economy, and which affect both men and women and resulted in a significant weakness women's participation in the economy.

2. The Israeli policies were characterized by fluctuations which complicated the planning process and plan execution and curtailed the maximization of benefits from the ongoing efforts and from the various forms of international support to the development process in Palestine.

3. The frequent border closure policy practiced by the Israeli Government which has a negative effect of the entire economic activity and the development efforts.

4. The law percentage of women which does not exceed 10% in the Palestinian labor force.

5. Most working women are found in the unorganized sector.

6. Lack of accurate, updated and gender-classified data in all aspects of the Palestinian woman's work.

7. The limited absorbing capacity of the Palestinian labor market.

8. he limited vocational training opportunities available to women in sectors considered to be more appropriate for men in the society.

9. Difficult access by women to the financial resources and services and to credits.

10. The constrained ability of women to obtain social and legal services.

11. The only job opportunities available to women are those which only need moderate or low level of skill.

12. Discrimination against women at the workplace.

13. Insignificant women participation in trade unions and professional associations.

14. Lack of mechanisms to support the working mother.

15. The perception of the Palestinian society which considers several jobs as the monopoly of men, and thereby not encouraging women to join new areas in which they did not traditionally work.

Objections:

Statistics:

- Boosting the national capacity to produce and use the relevant statistics classified according to gender and age in designing the development plans.

- Providing, classifying and analyzing data according to gender and age on a periodical basis.

- Improving data collection methods, which currently underestimate full and partial employment among women.

Job opportunities for women :

- Enabling the Palestinian woman to be economically independent

- Throwing light on the impediments faced by women who want to have access to certain fields of the labor market, and on the causes of such impediments.

- Taking the appropriate action by the Ministry of Labor and other concerned ministries to facilitate women's access to the various labor fields.

- Reaching women everywhere to help and support them to play an effective role.

- Making efforts to educate women and develop their performance in order to be quantitatively and qualitatively to men in the various fields of work.

- Developing mechanisms to support the working mother.

Training and rehabilitation:

- Developing women vocational training and rehabilitation.

- Integrating women in occupations through the expansion of crafts and tourist industries, and training women to work in this sector.

- Encouraging women small businesses.

- Training women to have their own businesses and to work in marketing.

- Encouraging women to join the non-traditional fields of work (exploration, research, management, hotels and the like).

Legislation :

- Issuing new laws to enable women to work.

Current measures and directions of the national action plans

Expanding job opportunities for women :

- Conducting studies to identify the Palestinian women's work

Potential in tourist, industrial and agricultural production.

- Publicizing the nature of industries which women can join.

- Developing mechanisms to ensure effective woman participation in crafts and tourist industries as well as in agricultural and industrial projects, so that the Palestinian manpower, especially women, can be utilized.

- Encouraging women small businesses engaged in crafts and tourist and agricultural industries, and seeking their financing.

- Organizing exhibits to encourage and promote women's businesses and production including cottage industries.

- Setting programs to connect with marketing networks to help marketing women's craft, tourist and cottage industry products and to expose them to supply and demand.

- Providing child-care rooms at women's work sites.

Training and rehabilitation :

- Organizing a workshop on women and work in Palestine to set a plan of action that designs a policy for expanding job opportunities and requirements to accommodate women.

- Conducting appropriate vocational training to attract women to the construction field through glass designing and ceramic work .

- Planning appropriate vocational training seminars for women in the various practical specifications, in financial and organizational project management and in safety and occupational health.

- Holding symposia and seminars to educate women on how to establish development projects and to reach credit institutions, and allowing them to benefit from ongoing experiments such as that of UNRWA which provides credit for projects managed by women.

- Conducting educational courses and programs for women who have had minimal education to learn how to perform simple crafts and normal work (pottery, straw, embroidery, traditional food processing, natural cosmetics and the like) with a perception of expanding commercial production.

- Opening women centers to help and support women everywhere, and facilitating their access to services, consultation and training in the various programs, and employing a full-time social worker for consultations.
Legislation :

Establishing a mechanism to review all laws and regulations issues by the competent ministries and entities and proposing legislation encouraging women to work ..

Statistics :

Improving the data collection process to accurately represent men and women's contribution to the economy, including activities in the unorganized sector.

- Perfecting the data collection process on work without pay, which is currently included in the national accounting system of the United Nations.

- Organizing workshops for the employees of the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics an the various ministries to explain the importance of gender-classified statistics and their analysis to sound development planning.

- Holding symposia for data producers and users to educate them about how to use the data in designing plans and programs.

- Releasing periodical reports and publicatios on various subjects reflecting women's status.

- Providing national, regional and international organizations with data about men and women's status in the Palestinian society.

Difficulties and impediments

- The continuation of the Israeli policies which undermine the current development programs and create hardships to efforts designed to rebuild the Palestinian economy.

- ack of adequate interministerial coordination required to adopt comprehensive development policies based on the study of women's needs and the obstacles faced in advancing her status in terms of participation in the economic activities.

- Lack of woman's knowledge and experience in marketing.

- Lack of training .

- Difficult access by women to resources including financing facilities.

Projections

- Better understanding of the obstacles facing women in certain fields of the labor market.

- Taking supporting measures by the Ministry of Labor and other ministries to facilitate women's access to the various fields of work.

- Providing gender-classified data and statistics, which will help decision and policy -makers to take women's needs in economy and the obstacles they face into consideration when designing development plans.

- Developing women's skills by allowing them to participate in training meant to prepare them for work in the new sectors such as crafts, tourist, glass, ceramic and food processing industries.

- Providing more chances for women to benefit from credit programs.

Definitions of competent entities to execute the plans

Statistics:

The Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, Planning departments at the Ministries of Labor, Agriculture, Economy and commerce, Industry, Planning and International Cooperation and Information and women studies centers.

Expanding job opportunities for women:

-The Planning and Information Department at the Ministries of Labor, Industry, Economy and Commerce, Agriculture, Tourism, Social Affairs, Planning and International Cooperation and Health, the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, Women Affairs Units, women studies centers and non-governmental organizations which are active in providing training and credits for women.

Legislation:

Influential members of the Legislature, and women lawyers, and non-governmental women organizations operating in this field, Planning and Developing Women Participation Department at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

Definition of targeted groups and their responsibilities:

Statistics

The employees of the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, planning departments at the Ministries of Labor, Agriculture, Economy and Commerce, Industry, Planning and International Cooperation and Information, and the employees of the research unites ant the various ministries and of the women studies centers.

Expansion of job opportunities for women :

The concerned officials in the various ministries ( the Planning and Information Department at the Ministries of Labor, Industry, Economy and Commerce, Tourism, Agriculture, Social Affairs, Planning and International Cooperation, the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics ) and researchers at the women studies centers.

Training and rehabilitation :

-The concerned officials at the Ministries of Tourism, Labor,

Industry, Economy and Commerce, Agriculture, and Social Affairs and women of minimal education, disabled, widows, divorcees and women working at the Ministry of Tourism in general

Available supporting elements:

Statistics:

- The presence of the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics which works in coordination with the other concerned ministries and conducts data classification according to gender.

- The presence of women studies centers specialized in gender-sensitive research.

Expansion of job opportunities for women

- Sensetivity of officials in the various ministries toward the importance of the woman's role in development.

- The activity of the planning and women's affairs departments at several ministries.

- Adopting ambitions training programs.

- Potential cooperation between information institutions.

- International support and attention.

Training and rehabilitation :

- The traditional women participation in farming and craft production in the unorganized sector and cottage industries.

- The governmental attention given to developing women's participation in productive work (in agriculture, industry and tourism).

- Internatinal encouragement of developing productive work for women.

Capabilities required to support the program:

Industrial capabilities

- The national development plans have already been designed.

- The structural framework to execute plans and programs has been set.

- Coordination among concerned ministries to set gender-sensitive development plans in order to develop human resources is materialized.

Human Capabilities:

- Specialized human resources in gender-sensitive development planning are available.

- Expertise in conducting research on women's economic activity in the unorganized and the invisible sectors does exist.

Program management at the national level

The Ministries of Economy, Industry, Agriculture, Labor, Education and Social Affairs carry a major responsibility in pursuing the execution of the Plan and in designing the programs needed for its success.

One of the early reactions to the uprooting and refugee problem resulting from the 1948 war, which affected the economic and social standards of the people, particularly women, was the great interest in educating girls as a means to face the new difficult circumstances and as a part of the struggle for survival, cohesiveness and resistance.

This development was followed in the second half of the 1960's by the participation of the Palestinian woman in the Palestinian people's resistance under the leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organization which was recognized as the sole representative of the Palestinian people and as the national authority responsible for managing their affairs during a period in which they were deprived from their right of self-rule in an independent Palestinian State. During the same period, the phenomenon of women entering the paid labor market in large numbers and in various areas and specializations became evident. All such developments helped women to gain new and qualitative experiences and skills.

However, these great developments in the Palestinian woman's social, and national struggle role and the scientific efficiency she reached were not reflected on her participation in the political authority structures within the Palestine Liberation Organization. The new structures of the Palestinian National Authority, which were established after it became responsible on the Palestinian homeland, did not bring with it adequate percentage representation of women. This issue requires a serious stand to correct this imbalance in the development of democracy in the Palestinian Society, especially when the current circumstances of the reconstruction and development process in the Palestinian society provides an appropriate foundation to deal with the issue, by giving priority to Palestinian human resources development.

Major problems facing development plans in boosting women's participation in the authority structures.

- Disproportional women representation at the decision-making level despite the social, political and scientific role they played in contemporary Palestinian history.

- Disproportional women representation in the political structures of the essential establishments of the Palestine Liberation Organization (where the percentage of women membership in the Palestinian National Council reached 10% and in the Palestinian Central Council 5 of a total of 108 members, while no women participated in the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and among the 93 diplomatic representatives there is only one woman ambassador).

- Disproportional representation of women in the fundamental structures of the recent Palestinian National Authority (at the Council of Ministers level of the Palestinian National Authority 2 women hold posts out of 28, and on the Legislative level five seatsout of 88 are occupied by women. Women only occupy 14% of top management positions in a sample of seven ministries)

- Low-level women representation at the party and political organization level as well as in trade unions and professional associations.

- Disproportional women representation in public positions in local government structures such as municipal and village councils.

- Lack of regulations or arrangements in the electoral system encouraging the participation of women to the elected posts.

- The prevailing social concepts and traditions which do not give priority to the importance of women's participation at the decision-making level.

- Lack of women's awareness of their fundamental rights to vote and run for office in rural and remote areas.

- Inadequacy of women programs designed to allow them access to decision-making posts, especially in rural and remote areas.

Objectives

- Raising the level of women representation at the decision-making level to be in harmony with the social, political and academic role played by the Palestinian woman.

- Allowing women to participate in the decision-making posts at the local level an in trade unions, parties and political movements ,to establish their participation at all decision - making level .

- Developing the electoral system to become more sensitive to increase women's representation in the elected posts.

- Boosting women's rights to play a role in politics and to form associations on equal footing with men.

- Fostering the public opinion, which encourages women to participate at the leadership level of the political structures.

Current measures an directions of the national action plans

- Studying and setting the rules to be incorporated in the electoral systems to encourage, in a positive way, women's participation in the elected public posts.

- Ensuring more representation for women in the municipal and village council elections, as voters and candidates.

- Reviewing the government employment policy to propose the best ways to achieve an equal opportunity for women to hold high ranking positions in government.

- Conducting media campaigns to underscore the importance of allowing women to participate at the fundamental decision-making level, of adhering to women political rights and of implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the International Covenants on Human Rights

- Setting programs to encourage a public dialogue about the new roles of both men an women in the society.

- Integrating the democratic concepts about the role of women in public life and in assumingthe decision- making responsibility, on equal footing with men, with regard to educational curricula.

- strengthening women organizations operating in rural areas in order to allow local community participation in planning, monitoring and executing the development policies.

- Providing training to boost women's administrative, leadership and organizational skills so that they can contribute to rural development through the training centers.

Difficulties and obstacles :

- Lack of data and studies reflecting the various aspects of women's status.

- Weak mechanisms to include the gap in women's representation at the decision-making level on the agenda of the concerned legislative bodies.

- The prevailing traditions and concepts in the society which prevent women from active participation in the decision-making bodies.

- Lack of laws and regulations encouraging positive action and enabling women to reach decision-making positions.

Projections :

- Boosting women's participation as voters in electing members of the legislature and municipal and village councils.

- Increasing the number of women candidates for election in the legislature and municipal and village councils .

- Increasing the number of elected women to the legislature and the municipal and village councils.

- Reaching clear proposals on the arrangements required to develop the electoral systems.

- Narrowing the gap between men an women of equal efficiency in new governmental jobs.

- Improving the performance level of women cadres.

Definition of competent entities to execute the plans

The planningdepartments and women affairs units at the Ministries of Planning an International Cooperation, Local Government, Interior, Youth and Sports, Education, Social Affairs, Health an Information, the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, The Radio an Television Organization, members of the Legislature and non-governmental organizations operating in this field.

Definition of targeted groups and their responsibilities:

- Members of the Council of Ministries and senior officials of the ministries.

- Members of the Legislature.

- School students and teaching staff.

- Members of trade unions and political parties.

- Members of the municipal and village councils .

- Members of the non-governmental organizations.

Available supporting elements

- General acknowledgment of the role played by the Palestinian woman in resisting the occupation and in the political struggle of the Palestinian people.

- The supportive and positive climate to develop women's participation in public life.

- The action by some departments at certain ministries to advance women's status and boost their contribution to decision-making .

- The rich experience of women organizations and other non-governmental organizations operating in areas related to the advancement of women's status and the defense of their rights.

- Cooperation with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Census and Statistics and women studies center.

Institutional capabilities required to support the program :

- Cooperation among the various concerned entities to advance women's status.

- Cooperation between the organizations and entities with expertise in the legal aspects of the electoral systems.

- Cooperation between the Judicial and Women Affairs Committees at the Legislature.

Human Resources Capabilities needed to support the program

- Members of the Council of Ministers who are capable to play a role.

-Members of the Legislature who are capable of rendering support.

Program management at the national level :

A coordinating committee including members from the Council of Ministers, the Legislature and the women affairs units at the ministries ,to adopt the campaign for women's participation at the decision-making level.

The Beijing Conference and its issued declaration,
known as the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action which were adopted at the conference throws light on the specific tasks and activities governments should take " post Beijing". These documents underscored the importance of adopting special mechanisms as a fundamental part of these tasks,

in order to start translating them into plans of action. The national and regional documents which were adopted at the preparatory stage for Beijing (The Regional Arab and Palestinian National Reports) indicated the lack in the necessary mechanisms to execute the tasks introduced for discussions in view of the Palestinian priorities, and after defining the objectives in each area and the means to be adopted for their satisfaction.

The major steps taken so far with regard to adopting mechanisms to advance women's status at the governmental level include the establishment of departments and units concerned with women affairs at a number of ministries (Ministries of Planning and International Cooperation, Social Affairs, Health, Agriculture, and Youth and Sports) as well as a women committee at the Ministry of Education.

With regard to designing a Palestinian governmental action plan, a coordination mechanism including delegates from the following concerned ministries and entities was established:

- Planning and Women Participation Development Department at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation

- Ministry of Social Affairs

- Ministry of Youth and Sports

- Ministry of Health

- Ministry of Labor

- Ministry of Education

- Ministry of Industry

- Ministry of Agriculture

- Ministry of Local Government

- Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

- Ministry of Information

- Ministry of Housing

- The Central Bureau of Census and Statistics

- The Palestinian Radio and Television Organization

Major problems facing the development plans with regard to mechanisms:

- Lack of accurate statistical data about women's participation in both work and decision-making as well as data showing the extent of benefits women's gain from the development of education, health and training plans.

- Absence of surveys indicating the social changes regarding the society's perception of the role of men and women and the effect of such changes on the nature ofthe social relations between the two sexes.

The effect on the Palestinian society of the social customs, traditions and values hampering women's participation and pressing their fingerprints on the laws and regulations and the educational curricula, and thereby on the social relations between men and women in the society.

- Weak information about women and their problems, needs and accomplishments, and thereby perpetuating the inferior image of women.

- Lack of mechanisms to advance women's status and to provide their legal protection, especially within the Legislature.

- Lack of human resources specialized in women affairs and development.

- Weak women participation at the various levels of the decision-making process, and thereby their weak effect on the policies which ensure women's integration in all development plans and programs.

- Lack of women's participation in the municipal and village councils resulting in lack of priority for women needs.

- the unsettlement and disintegration of the Palestinian society resulting form the Israeli occupation policies which hampered development in all areas in the society, particularly in the economic sector, with negative effects on men and women and leading to weak participation by women in the organized economic sector and in public life.

Objectives

- Ensuring better role for women at the decision-making level and in setting policies and plans in ministries and national institutions.

- Taking action to secure commitment of the highest decision-making authority to adopt mechanisms and institutional structures which call for the advancement of women as an integral part of the fundamental success of political, economic, social and cultural development.

- Ensuring women access to the various labor fields

- Boosting the national capability to produce and use the appropriate statistics to design gender-classified development plans.

- Reinforcing and supporting geder-sensitive policy coordination betwwen women units and planning departments at the various ministries and between the competent governmental entities.

- Fostering cooperation with non-governmental organizations operating in areas to advance women's status.

- Strengthening coordination within international organizations supporting women advancement programs.

- Creating the appropriate forum to discuss legislation and policies designed to support women at the decision-making authorities.

Current measures and plans supporting national development plans
Planning :

-Completing appointments at the units and departments concerned with women's advancement at the various ministries and securing the required qualified cadre.

- Providing the necessary equipment to such units and departments.

- Urging the various ministries to complete the mechanisms needed to advance women's status (establishing units concerned with women affairs, and at least assigning an official to women affairs in every planning department at the various ministries)

- Supporting coordination between women affairs units at the various ministries.

- Allowing community organizations and institutions to participate in program planning, execution and evaluation.

- Integrating all activities pertinent to the advancement of women within the national programs planned by the various ministries, and adapting such plans to fit women's specific needs.

Training and rehabilitation

- Providing training for women employees occupying sensitive positions in the various ministries to set plans and policies which take women and gender into consideration.

- Holding training seminars and workshops to train all men and women working in the women affairs units and the planning departments on administrative topics, strategic planning and policy setting from a gender-sensitive perception, in order to integrate women in the national policies.

- Offering scholarships to women to develop their skills and scientific and professional capabilities.

Statistics and research

- Providing gender-classified data to help the decision and policy makers in setting sound development plans.

- Holding training seminars including both data producers and users to learn how to use such data in setting plans and programs.

- Conducting policy-making research which throws light on the various aspects of women's life style and their participation in public life, and on the obstacles they face, and sets the indicators which reflect any change in such participation.

- Studying and commenting on draft laws and intervening to urge the authorities to consider the raised issues in order to legislate laws which are not prejudiced to women.

Information

- Intensifying media campaigns to draw attention of the society in general and the decision-makers in particular to women issues and the reasons which block their participation in public life.

- Urging officials at the authority level to appoint women to sensitive positions to allow their participation in decision-making at all ministries (assigning a quota for women representation or applying a positive discrimination policy favoring women working at the various ministries).

- Issuing a periodical publication about women and using the media to promote awareness and disseminate information about women.

- Establishing an exclusive center for documentation , data and information to provide a data base about women in cooperation with the Central Bureau of Census and
Statistics.

- Providing the local, regional and international institutions with data concerning the status of both men an women in the Palestinian society, to be utilized in setting development programs and plans.

- Coordinating efforts with the concerned governmental entities in order to get support for programs designed to advance women's status.

Difficulties and obstacles

- Difficulties associated with serious efforts to accomplish the desired standard, of coordination and cooperation between the concerned departments at the ministries, which calls for new channels and transparent mechanisms for action.

- Shortage of qualified human resources in the area of women development and designing policies, and inadequate utilization of the available human resources.

- Absence of a suitable forum to discuss the legislation and policies supporting women at the decision-makers level.

- Complications associated with the introduction of a platform for action at the national level heeding women participation in public policies.

- Lack of people's awareness about the social obstacles which prevented women participation.

Projections

- Approving indicators to measure the extent of women participation in public life.

- Establishing an updated data base about women.

- A high degree of society awareness of women issues and participation.

- An increase in the percentage of women participating in public life and in the economy.

- Rehabilitating men and women working at the planning departments and women affairs units at the various ministries to acquire new skills in planning on the basis of gender consideration.

Definition of competent authorities to execute the plans

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Department of Planning and Women Participation Development, Department of Planning a Women Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Environment Department, The Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, The Ministries of Local Government, Agriculture, Health,Culture, Education and Information , Women Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Youth and Sports,The Radio and Television Organization.

Definition of targeted groups and their responsibilities

- Decision- makers and program planners at the national level.

- Men and women working at the various ministries, especially in planning and women affairs departments.

- Men and women in the various fields of work.

- Men and women teachers and students.

- Members of Trade union and non-governmental organization .

- Service and skill development program providers .

- Men and women working in the media and the cultural field.

Available supporting elements

- The political will.

- The activity of the planning departments, women affairs units at the ministries and those concerned with women files.

- The cooperation of private organizations, particularly women organizations

- The presence of research centers specialized in women studies.

- The media and cultural activity and the cooperation of the information organizations.

- The international support.

Institutional capabilities required to support the program

- Completion of the establishment of planning and women advancement departments at the remaining ministries.

- Completion of appointments at the planning and specialized units at the ministries.

- Completion of the interministerial coordination mechanisms.

- Introduction of the appropriate and efficient national structure to set the plans and policies and to discuss legislation for the advancement of women's status.

Human resources needed to support the program

- Providing a cadre specialized in gender-sensitive planning.

- Providing rehabilitation programs for the employees of units involved in advancing women's status in particular and human development in general.

Program management at the national level

The interministerial coordination mechanisms for the advancement of women's status, in cooperation with concerned local non-governmental organizations.

and racial military orders issued by the Israeli occupation authorities prevailed instead of the national laws and regulations any nation needs to protect citizens rights and define their responsibilities in all aspects of life. The occupation authorities kept on record a selective set of laws which were applicable in Palestine or in parts of it during epochs preceding the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian homelands, and which were derived from the Ottoman Law, the British Mandate regulations, and both the Egyptian and Jordanian laws.

The Palestinian nation resisted such deprivation by establishing the Palestine Liberation Organization which has constituted an authority the Palestinian people can turn to, and established the broad characteristics of the would-be Palestinian system when the Israeli occupation ends. The Declaration of Independence was among the most important bases adopted by the Palestinian legislative body and the Palestine National Council in 1988. It stipulates that "The State of Palestine shall be for the Palestinians, wherever they may be, therein to develop their national and cultural identity and therein to enjoy full equality of rights. Their religious and political beliefs and human dignity shall therein be safeguarded under a democratic parliamentary system based on freedom of opinion and the freedom to from parties .... on social justice and equality and non-discrimination in civil rights on grounds of race, religion or color or as between men and women, under a Constitution ensuring the rule of law and an independent judiciary".

The current stage of the Palestinians life in the West Bank and Gaza is witnessing a series of developments in view of what has been executed so far of the agreements reached within the framework of the peace process.

In early 1996, the first legislative elections were held and the Palestinian National Authority President was elected. The law governing the legislative and the presidential elections reflects non-discrimination against women's rights at the political level and opens the opportunity for women to run for elections to the legislature and the presidency. The same concept was dedicated in the Palestinian Constitution of which the first and second readings were completed.

The developments show the basic political rights of the Palestinian woman have been respected and established.

However , other areas of her basic rights should also be given attentions, particularly because our Palestinian society has established the principle of non-discrimination against women in certain areas related to her rights in the social, economic and cultural spheres during the previous stage, and because the time is ripe at the new constitution stage, despite its difficulties, to translate the basic principles of the Declaration of Independence into laws and regulations protecting women's rights in all areas.

In this respect, it is worth noting that the document incorporating the declaration of women's principles already prepared through interaction between a group of Palestinian women cadres at the Federation of Palestinian Women and other women organizations and the women studies centers which were publicized in August 1994 to underscore the Palestinian women's rights in all areas based on the Declaration of Independence and the Charter of the United Nations regarding the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

The Palestinian woman, who contributed to the national struggle against occupation through past decades has recognized that the current changes on the local and international political stage required an effective women participation in efforts designed to advance their status and in setting and executing public policies on equal footing with men. She also recognized that these changes require eliminating all legal impediments preventing such effective participation.

Problems

- Some prevailing social concepts and values which sustain prejudice against women's rights.

- The Palestinian Constitution, which establishes equality principles in the society, has not yet been adopted.

- The Palestinian sovereignty over all territories has not yet been completed, and the Palestinian Authority has not been considered as fully sovereign as a nation , which impedes law enforcement over the whole Palestinian population on one hand, and prevents the Palestinian Authority from signing the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against Women on the other hand.

- Lack of women's awareness of the laws and thereby their rights.

- The novelty of the Palestinian organizations experience in exercising pressure and influence on the government to adopt human rights protecting policies.

- The effect on the Palestinian society of the Israeli occupation and its consequences.

Objectives

- Spreading legal education designed to develop and modernize the field of law to establish the kind of legislation that fit the aspiration of the Palestinian People for freedom, independence and advancement.

Ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Creating awareness of the applicable laws among men and women.

Measures

- Educating women about the applicable laws and their legal rights to uphold the appropriate legislation and amend the provisions which constitute prejudice against women's rights.

- Holding workshops and large scale meetings to discuss the proposed amendments to laws and regulations.

- Encouraging general non-governmental organizations to reach the concepts and formulations needed to amend the laws which constitute prejudice against women.

- Cooperation with the Palestinian media to initiate discussions on the laws and to reach a wide audience through radio and television.

- Creating a mechanism to advance the woman's status (a women affairs council or a ministry for women affairs and the family).

Difficulties and obstacles

- The prevailing social concepts which perpetuate considering women as inferior, especially with regard to their economic rights.

- Absence of mechanisms to follow up the results reached at the workshops on legislation development and to translate them into real programs.

- Lack of laws supporting and ensuring women rights.

Definition of Competent authorities to execute the programs

- Men and women working at the women affairs units and planning departments at the various ministries and at the Radio and Television Organization.

- The members of the Palestinian Legislature.

Targeted groups

- Members of the Legislature

- Men and women working at the Department of Legal Opinion and Legislation of the Justice Ministry.

- The management of the Palestinian community organizations in general and women's in particular.

Available supporting elements

- The nature of the construction stage which allows modernization and development.

- A positive environment at the governmental entities and civil organizations, encouraging and supporting the amendments of laws which are prejudice against women.

- Possible cooperation with jurisprudents and theologians with regard to modernizing and developing of the social laws.

- The international encouragement and support for the advancement of the woman's status and her participation in development.

Institutional and Human capabilities

- Having Parliament members who support human rights and allowing women to play a positive role in the society.

- A higher level of women's awareness about their basic rights.

- The presence of women organizations operating in this field.

Program management at the national level

- The Interministerial Coordination Committee on women affairs, members of the Legislature and non-governmental organizations working in the field.

Definition of problems

- Weak and inadequate handling of women's problems and needs in the media.

- The influence of customs and traditions discriminating against women on the society, which leads the media to refrain from dealing with the social problems suffered by women such as early marriage and violence.

- Lack of guided information to change the woman's stereotype and to underscore her contributions and accomplishments in all fields.

- Women did not utilize the available media to adequately defend their issues.

- Lack of a specialized media commission to coordinate with the media.

Current directions of the governmental action plans regarding the role of the media

Objectives :

- Providing training opportunities in all information fields for women working therein, and encouraging women to join such training and education.

- Supporting the promotion of women working in the media to reach decision-making positions.

- Disseminating and establishing the concepts and values which are based on democracy, equality and non-discrimination against women, through studies and media campaigns, in coordination with the various concerned entities.
- Providing information about women's areas of interest and rights and simplifying the laws and regulation, in cooperation with the non-governmental organizations operating in this field, through all available media.

- Educating women and the society about the youth issues, particularly the importance of encouraging young girls to join the program introduced by the Ministry of Youth an Sports, to create new women capabilities which contribute to society and nation's building.

- Highlighting women examples who played and plays a pionerring role in development and social change .

Measures

1. Planning health, social, legal, environmental awareness programs of interest to women in their everyday activities and using the media, workshops, posters and publications to disseminate the information and guidance included in such programs.

2. Creating an information office to coordinate with the media in the various relevant fields and to publish a periodical publication in the name of the coordination committee of women affairs units at the various ministries to deal with the ministries and governmental institutions women-related activities, provide information and define the obstacles and accomplishments in the various sectors concerned with women.

3. Creating a center for documentation and information about women issues under the supervision of the Women Participation Planning and Development, to build a data base about women for the benefit of all concerned information agencies.

4. Planning radio and Television programs to be directed to men an women to highlight the negative effect of some community customs and traditions perpetuating discrimination against women and on the upbringing of children , to reinforce democratic and equality concepts and to call for dialogue as a means to solve problems.

5. Designing radio and television forums in which members of the Legislature and women organizations to spotlight on the effect of the applicable laws on women and the action required to ensure gender equality.

6. Encouraging writers of both sexes to educate people through their literary production, about various topics, to establish the concept of equal rights between men an women and to underscore the role of the Palestinian woman through history, in order to strengthen her confidence in her values.

Competent authorities

The coordination committee of women affairs units at the various ministries, The Ministries of Information and Culture, The Radio an Television organization an women organizations concerned with research and information.

Projections

1. Increasing women participation in the information agencies (quantitatively and qualitatively), particularly at the policy-making level.

2. Introducing radio and television programs and press article highlighting the positive role of women in the various aspects of life .

3. Creating forums and media enabling women to present their problems , programs and intersts priorities ( The Information Office , The Publication and the Documentation Center ) .

4. Conducting intensive awareness campaigns to draw the attention of the community in general and the decision- makers in particularto women issues and the reasons preventing thei participation in public life .

5. Incorporating programs and projects responding to the various needs of women in the municipal and village councils action programs as frameworks directly concerned with everyday life of people and have their direct effect on the society

Difficulties and obstacles :

- The limited reach of the media to all parts of the homeland .

- The limited information cadres specialized in women affars.

- The meager financial resources allocated for the technical development of the media ( especially the radio and television ) .

- Lack of a mechanism needed to deliver women - related information to all concerned and to the society .

Targeted Groups

- Women, Decision - makers and community organizations and - in general - men and women working in the media .

Institutional capabilities

- The presence of a ministry of information and culture ,a radio and television organization , private radio and television stations and women studies centers lacking a mechanism for coordination and cooperation to define the information needs and how the information can reach the largest sector of the population . especially women wherever they are .

Human Capabilities

- It is necessary to attract human resources specialized in women's issues.

- The Radio and Television Organization introduces a training program to develop the capabilities and skills of women working in this field, and it shows interest in planning certain programs addressing women's issues.

Program management at the national level

The coordination Committee of the women affairs units at the various ministries, in cooperation with the agencies operating in this field, especially the media.

Certainly, no man or woman has a distinctive role in an natural increase of some of these resources such as land or water because such resources are limite . especially in Palestine (the land) or subjecte to political considerations (the water) . However , the woman's role became clear and distinctive in her handling of this or that resource .

With regard to the nature of this handling and the role of women in public life in Palestine, they play behind the scene remarkable roles in preserving those resources, and they are positively or negatively affected by this handling as the following remarks indicate:

- Women in some Palestinian population concentrations , particularly in areas to which water has not yet been provided, are still responsible for water saving and thereby for the time and effort they put in it.

- Women are still directly responsible for removing house waste, which will require separation , recycling or facing the health and enviromental problems resulting from waste .

- Palestinian women are still participating effectively in agriculture, especially in areas using waste water for irrigation and thereby subject themselves to many health and environmental hazards.

- Palestinian women are still the ones who are targeted by most of the environmental awareness campaigns in Palestine, and who are executing them.

- Palestinian women are directly responsible for using house water which constitutes about 13% of the total water consumption in Palestine.

- Palestinian women represent the majority of participants in the health sector, and thereby bear the responsibility of removing this sector's waste.

- Palestinian children are the first group to be affected by the water and thus by public and environmental health problems resulting from potential pollution, especially in polluted or potentially exposed to high pollution areas.

- Women's responsibility toward children is an additional burden, especially in their role at home to complement the health or environmental messages or instructions in school.

- Conditions surrounding women and facilities available to them are still limited despite the burdens and responsibilities they carry, even if not intended.

- With regard to pollution or exposure thereto, Palestinian women , especially those living in heavy polluted areas such as near quarries, mines, landfills or heavy automobile traffic areas, are constantly exposed to air pollution in particular because they stay at home most of the time.

- Palestinian women can greatly contribute to better life and upbringing of their children by reducing the use of pollutants such as plastic bags which are hard to decompose in the soil where they are discharged as house waste.

- Women can reduce chemical pollutants in waste water by controlling the amount of chemicals, especially detergents, used in the house.

Definition of problems faced by environment development plans

By the year 2200, the world and the Palestinian population will be doubled, while the resources will remain limited, and their depletion by all means and competition between the Israeli and Palestinian nations on there use will continue.

there is a normal increase of population which can be estimated in other parts of the world, but such increase is not possible in Palestine due to the following reason:

- The Israeli government policy which encourages Jewish immigration and thus affecting population increase.

- the return of large number of Palestinians to the territories under the control of the National Authority.

- Lack of regulations governing the use of resources in the National Authority - controlled territories.

- Lack of an adequate sewerage system , which creates environmental discharge problems, especially due to water consumption increase.

- Overuse of water, resulting in water pollution and an increase in salinity, especially in Gaza.

- Destruction of the environment due to :

- abandoning of vast areas of farmlands for security reasons or because Israel designates them as Israeli military zones.

- deforestation for security reasons, leading to desertification.

- Lack of women's feeling of responsibility toward the environment, because they are unpaid workers in agriculture and at home, which makes them less interested in resource preservation.

- Lack of vision with regard to the environment-related systems at the Ministry of Local Government and the Environment Departments at the Ministries of Planning and International Cooperation, Agriculture and Health.

- Population growth and its effect on the preservation of resources. In Gaza, such density is very high, since one million people live in a 280 thousand square meters of a total land area of 360 thousand square meters. This situation leads to economic disruption, disease and lack of education. It also make population planning and land accommodation of such increases impossible.

Objectives

1- Enacting laws to attain environmental fairness.

2- Setting a national environmental plan which takes resource limitation into consideration and regulates their exploitation and the use of modern technology.

3- Allowing women to assume their role in developing the environment and improving the surrounding conditions, despite the well known social obstacles.

4- Designing educational curricula including material related to resource protection, to help in the upbringing of a new generation believing in the preservation of the environment.

5. Establishing environmental clubs and allowing women participation at all levels therein.

6. Boosting the public awareness, particularly of the proper use an preservation of resources (the land and anything on it).

7. Boosting the public awareness of the proper use of pesticides and fertilizers .

Currewnt measures and directions of the national action plans

1. Women are assuming a tangible role in improving the surrounding conditions either by the re-use of water or by preserving and cleaning the resources.

2. Allowing women to play an effective role through their participation in resource management and their outreach to every woman in the cities, rural areas and the Camps.

3. Establishing women clubs to care about the environment.

4. Setting programs to educate the public, and allowing women to be a part of their design, execution and evaluation.

5. Introducing complementary activities to support the environmental plan.

6. Issuing publications to boost the public awareness, and allowing women to play a major role in their design.

7. Increasing public interest in home gardens especially in rural areas.

8. Using treated sewerage water to irrigate woodlands.

Difficulties and obstacles

1. Limited assets, and control of the Palestinians, especially women, of adequate independent capital to improve the enviroment , and limited women acess and control over such resources .

2. Lack of a national environmental strategy and plan, despite the multiplicity of agencies operating in this field.

3. Lack of birth control and the large ember of children per family, especially in (illegible) and the Camps.

4. The limited political power given to women, which weakens their influence on decision-making.

Projections

1. Cohesive policies about the use of resources will be designed

2. Laws and regulations and a national strategy to preserve the resources to be based on equality and fairness in their distribution will be introduced .

3. An environmental law for which women have an input will be issued.

4. Programs to boost the environmental awareness, in which women participate, will be set.

5. The environmental awareness programs will be incorporated in school curricula

6. Cooperation between the Ministries of Agriculture, Local Government and Health and the Environmental Agency in the area of environmental guidance will be established.

7. A women team to educate about the environment will be formed, and women's access to environmental information will be ensured (helping women to help themselves)

8. Women's efficiency in using resources will be boosted, and a disintegrated policy will be rejected by women who will be asked to complete the task.

9. The environmental dimension and laws will be considered in any decision pertaining to health and agriculture as well as in all other fields.

10. Information concerning the available resources will be provided.

11. Studies concerning the role of women in preserving resources will be conducted.

12. Information about the extent of women contribution to environmental pollution and the extent of their role in reducing it will be made available.

13. National plans for rain collections and preservation will be designed.

Definition of competent authorities

Many ministries and entities are currently working in this field within a framework of constant coordination including the Ministries of Planning and International Cooperation, Agriculture, Health, Local Government and Education in addition to a number of non-governmental organizations.

Targeted groups

Women will be the target of defining their role in the preservation of resources. However, this process will be within a sensible plan which deals with women at the various levels as:

- a decision-maker, particularly those who are occupying positions of influence on the decision of the concerned ministries.

- an educated woman ,by boosting her awareness to be a tool to deliver information to all people.

- a housewife who will be the beneficiary and the communicator of information to the new generation and the person who can influence other members of the family.

- a girl child who will be prepared for the future

Available supporting elements:

- The fundamental contribution of women in agriculture.
- Women's role in managing and preserving natural resources.
- Women's direct relation with health condition.
- Budgets are allocated , though limited.
- The benefits of technology.
- Adequate awareness of the Palestinian woman.
- Adequate awareness of all people to support women in this field.

Institutional capabilities required to support the program

To be successful, women participation needs the following:
- Environmental laws and regulations defining how to make use of the resources.
- Distribution of tasks among ministries and concerned entities.
- Setting a plan to protect the natural resources.

Human capabilities needed to support the program

To communicate the appropriate information to women:
- a woman care group with adequate scientific, social and political background to qualify for this task should be formed
- budgets to achieve this task should be allocated.
- a special training course for the women care group should be held.
- proper working conditions such as office space and an operating budget should be provided.

Program management at the national level

A national committee, having the Environment Department at the Ministries of Planning and International cooperation, Local Government and Health as its core, should be formed to follow up the environmental issues , in cooperation with other entities operating in this field.

A women national supporting committee should be formed as well to concentrate on women while ensuring its participation in the above-mentioned national committee.

When the Palestinian National Authority began exercising its power, action was initiated to face the destructive effects of the occupation years on the Palestinian children.

In the area of child protection and as a priority, the National Authority committed itself to the convention on the Rights of the Child which ensures the rights of every child vis a vis all kinds of discrimination including gender discrimination as a priority to protct children . The Authority supported the establishment of the Palestinian National Plan for Childhood Committee which was formed of members representing the Ministries of Planning and International Cooperation, Health, Education, Youth and Sports, Social Affairs, Culture and Labor, the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics, UNISEF, UNRWA and the network of non-governmental organizations, in cooperation with the Swedish Government. This committee set a general framework for planning development programs for children , which was adopted after being discussed by all concerned ministerial departments.

Definition of problems facing the development plans

The heavy burden carried by the Palestinian National Authority resulting from the deteriorated economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza, which was created by the Israeli occupation will affect the financial allocation needed to implement the childhood Five -Year Plan (1996-2000) which was nationally adopted.

- The serious damage inflicted on the educational apparatus during occupation and was complicated during the uprising which affected its ability to fill the gap in school enrollment of both boys and girls and to prevent dropping out especially among girls in the elementary education stages.

- The serious damage inflicted on the health system during occupation, which affected its ability to provide adequate health services to children of both sexes.

- The aggression and violence phenomenon in the society resulting from living for years under occupation, which sometimes affects the community and intra-family relations with the girl child often the victim.

- The serious shortage of programs of youth, sports and cultural centers, especially those directed to women.

- The substantial shortage of centers providing guidance services.

- The responsibilities carried by the Palestinian students early in their lives due to the prevailing difficult conditions and the large number of Palestinian family members, either as a result of the high rate of population growth in Palestine or the acute housing problem.

- The early marriage age of the girl /girl child, supported by harmful social customs and traditions, without any clear restrictions in the applicable laws.

- Clear prevailing social attitude discriminating against girls , which is still rooted in the school curricula and in the minds of some officials in the educational field.

Objectives

- Providing gender-classified statistical date indicating the size of the gap in satisfying the basic needs of both sexes.

- Using the gender-classified statistical data to determine the most important priorities within the basic needs of the girl child.

- Conducting wide-range community awareness campaign to educate people that the girl remains a child from her birth until she reaches eighteen and that she has the child's needs and rights.

- Adhering to the Convention on the Rights of the child in all fields.

- Confronting violence and aggression in the community and among children.

- Controlling the school dropping out phenomenon and paying special attention to the reasons for the spread of such phenomenon among girls.

- Enabling girls to acquire better knowledge of their health needs.

- Controlling the girl early marriage age phenomenon.

Measures and directions of the national action plans

- The Central Bureau of Census and Statistics is collecting gender-classified data on childhood.

- Studies are being conducted to set policies in view of the gender-classified data.

- The girl child participates fully and on equal basis in all projects included within the Childhood Five -Year Plan, and her benefit is secured.

-Girls participate in the rehabilitation and community education programs .

- Girls participate in sport activities in Youth Centers.

- Programs qualifying teachers and instructors within the Childhood Plan are calling for special awareness campaigns underscoring the importance of considering the sex , and resisting the prevailing views which discriminate against the girl or deprive her from participation in certain activities or from gaining specific skills.

- Educating children, especially boys in order to eliminate violence

- Translating the Convention on the Rights of the Child into programs and mechanisms, in order to eliminate any contradiction between it and the laws and practices.

- Making efforts, in cooperation with the Judicial Committee in the Legislature, to raise the girl marriage age.

- Conducting awareness campaigns showing the harmful effects of early marriage of girls.

Difficulties and obstacles

- The prevailing perceptions and concepts which perpetuate discrimination against the girl child.

- Lack of financial resources to cover all tasks required to eliminate discrimination against the girl child.

- The stereotype impressions carried by some child-care and education officials, which discriminate against the girl child.

- The economic crisis which forces many families to arrange early marriages for their girls.

- Lack of capabilities and preparations needed by girls to practice sport and youth activities.

Projections

- Girls will be enabled to benefit from all childhood projects included within the Five -Year Plan on equal footing with boys.

- The Palestinian girls will have the opportunity to participate in sport, cultural, educational and health activities.

- A public cultural atmosphere based on respect and refraining from violence will be created.

- A public cultural atmosphere supporting the efforts to resist early marriage of girls will be established.

- The girls will acquire better knowledge about their health needs.

- The early marriage of girls will be controlled.

- The awareness about the harm inflicted upon girls because of early marriages will be boosted.

Definition of competent authorities to execute the plans.

The Palestinian National Plan on Childhood Committee which includes the representatives of all ministries concerned with childhood.

Targeted groups and their tasks

- Girls and girl students.

- Parents and the society in general.

- Service providers at the educational, health and cultural entities and of the youth and sport programs.

Available supporting elements

- The presence of a childhood committee which guides and coordinates efforts between ministries and international agencies concerned with childhood.

- The Palestinian National Authority's ratification of the Conventions on the Rights of the Child.

- Designing the five-year childhood plan .

- Setting projects for childred in view of the 5 - year plan .

-Collecting gender-classified data about childhood by the Central Bureau of Census and Statistics.

Institutional capabilities required to support the program

The Palestinian National Plan on Childhood should continue to play its role in monitoring the plan's implementation and evaluating its progress.

- Financial resources for the projects incorporated in the plan should be allocated.

- The media should make cooperative efforts to mobilize public opinion to support the plan's directions.

Human capabilities needed to support the program

A qualified cadre understanding the Convention on the Rights of the Child should train the health, social, educational and cultural providers of services and care for children.

Program management at the national level

The Palestinian National Plan on Childhood Committee

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