Palestinian women – Commission on the Status of Women – Press release (excerpts)

TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN FACES FINANCIAL CRISIS

COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TOLD

Former Director Says INSTRAW Cannot Function Beyond August 1999;

USG for Economic and Social Affairs Stresses Need for Immediate Support

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Work Programme

The Commission  on the Status of  Women met this  morning, as  part of its follow-up to the Fourth World  Conference  on  Women (Beijing,  1995),  to discuss the review of mainstreaming in  organizations of the United  Nations system.  It had before it three reports of the Secretary-General.

The report on follow-up to and  implementation of the Beijing  Declaration and Platform  for Action  (E/CN.6/1999/2 and  Add.1) contains  a joint work plan for the Division for  the Advancement  of Women and the  Office of the United Nations  High Commissioner for Human  Rights.  It emphasizes efforts undertaken  by  the  Secretariat   in  support  of  mainstreaming a gender perspective  and follow-up  activities, including  activities undertaken  by non-governmental organizations and other United Nations bodies.

It  states that  the Special Adviser  on Gender Issues  and Advancement of Women has continued to work with  the Department of Peacekeeping  Operations in the  development of a  project on  mainstreaming a gender  perspective in multidimensional  peacekeeping operations.   A  draft project  proposal  was made  available  to  interested  delegations  in mid-1998,  and  pledges  of support were  subsequently  received from  a  number  of Governments.  The project has four major objectives:  to analyze the extent to which a  gender perspective is  reflected in all stages  of peacekeeping  operations, with a view to strengthening that perspective; to  increase the number of  women in multidimensional  operations  at   all  levels;  to  assess  the  impact  of peacekeepers  on the local  population, in  particular women;  and to review the   contribution  of  local  women  to  peacekeeping   and  peace  support activities.   It  is anticipated  that  implementation  of the  project will commence in early 1999. The Department  of Peacekeeping Operations has  also stepped up its efforts  to improve gender balance at Headquarters and in the field.

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In  reviewing specific  mandates with  regard  to  women, the  report also discusses progress made in relation to  the situation of Palestinian  women.  The Economic  and Social  Council, in  its resolution  1998/10, requested  a report on  the situation  of Palestinian  women and  assistance provided  by organizations of the United  Nations system.  The present report covers  the period from  September 1997  to September 1998  and is based  on information from United  Nations  bodies monitoring the situation of Palestinians in the occupied territories as well as in refugee camps.  

Based  on those reports,  the Secretary-General  found that  daily life of women  continues  to  be  adversely  affected  by  the  Israeli  occupation, particularly  by  the  imposition  of  security-related  measures,  such  as closures, which had a detrimental impact on their socio-economic  condition.  As  in  the past,  Palestinian women  were experiencing  the gender-specific impact of those measures, which was  reinforced by existing inequalities  in society between women and men.  Frequent Israeli  closures have been a major factor behind  the 18 per cent drop  in the gross  national product (GNP) of the West Bank and Gaza and  the 35 per  cent drop in per capita GNP  between 1992 and 1996.

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