Cultivating Resilient Institutions in the Arab Region – National Women’s Machineries in Challenging Times – ESCWA Report

Full Report

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In the State of Palestine, the Cabinet of Ministers established the High National Committee for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325, headed by the Ministry for Women’s Affairs. Its membership includes a wide range of ministries, State institutions and CSOs. This Committee serves as a collaborative and participatory mechanism for dialogue and the joint development of the NAP on WPS, among various government agencies and civil society partners. Upon its endorsement in 2016, the NAP included particular emphasis on the protection of women and girls from the impacts of the Israeli occupation and ensuring accountability for violations stemming from the occupation. This resonated among several civil society actors because there is a perception that the WPS agenda does not appropriately address instances of occupation. Furthermore, the State of Palestine ratified CEDAW without reservations and amended the Palestinian Elections Law to secure a 20 per cent quota representation in local councils and the Legislative Council.

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In the State of Palestine, women in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza are subjected to the daily obstacles and pervasive oppression of life under the Israeli occupation. Within Gaza, the 12-year blockade and consistent military assaults have destroyed livelihoods, effectively crippling the economy and leading to high levels of poverty. In 2014, 61 per cent of women were unemployed 61. Furthermore, 47 per cent of the population faces food insecurity in Gaza an issue that disproportionately affects female-headed households.62 Poverty is a major determinant of food insecurity. The 2017 Household Expenditure and Consumption Survey found that the poverty rate in Gaza had increased from  25 38.8 to 53 per cent since 2011.63 In addition to violence from their own communities, women
are subjected to violence from Israeli forces. During Israel’s attack on Gaza in 2014, 260 women were killed and 2,088 injured.64 Countless women were also left widowed from the violence, leaving them with mass trauma and the responsibility of serving as primary caretakers for their families. The occupation has also devastated the health care system within Gaza; during the 2014 military assault, more than 40,000 women were deprived of access to basic reproductive health services.65

Within the West Bank in particular, some of the major challenges faced by women include restrictions on movement; excessive use of force by Israeli forces; forced displacement and house demolitions; settler violence and the increasing construction of settlements; the detention of minors; and the further
construction of the wall.66 Women face harassment, assaults and shootings by settlers. The demolition of homes entails the loss of Palestinian families’ main economic asset, which forces women to seek work, possibly straining familial relations. The loss of a home is also detrimental to the psychological health and physical security of women.67 Families are split apart, and women are frequently unable to access basic services due to the lack of mobility and the restricted movement of people and goods. While the
political transition in Tunisia, conflict in Yemen, occupation in the State of Palestine, and the refugee crisis in Jordan are taking place in the present, it is important to remember that these situations will have far-reaching consequences, reverberating well into the future, particularly for girls and women.

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As for the WPS agenda, the National Action Plan for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 for the State of Palestine (2017-2019)79 was developed through a coordinated and consultative process, led by MoWA and supported by United Nations agencies and the European Union; this was done after extensive advocacy by the Palestinian Women’s Coalition on Security Council resolution 1325. The Coalition is comprised of a range of civil society organizations, including women’s rights organizations from the West Bank and Gaza, and functions under the leadership of the General Union of Palestinian Women. In 2015, the Palestinian Cabinet instructed Government ministries and other institutions to include WPS in their plans and to allocate funding. This was based on a policy of gender-responsive budgeting adopted by the government in 2013, due to the efforts of MoWA and several CSOs.

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The tactics employed by MoWA in the State of Palestine has allowed it to gain legitimacy through its linkages with CSOs, which have protected it from attempts to question its usefulness and the nature of its work as a nonservice provider body. Establishing a strong reputation of authority and trustworthiness is particularly important under occupation, as local institutions are often delegitimized by the occupying force. This is especially important given the political divide within the Palestinian Government – despite this divide, MoWA continues to be viewed as a reliable actor and advocate for Palestinian women’s rights.

Endnotes
62. E/ESCWA/ECW/2016/Technical Paper.3, p. 12.
63. OCHA, 2018.
64. E/CN.6/2015/5.
65. OCHA, 2014.
66. UNRWA, 2018.
67. E/ESCWA/ECW/2016/Technical Paper.3, p. 8.