2 Roundtable meetings with decision makers in Hebron and Gaza

ADWAR Association, with the participation of a number of women, met with representatives of the official authorities from the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Labor, aim to raising the level of dialogue with decision-makers and pressing for the adoption of policies and procedures that contribute to enhance the Bedouin and rural women the participation in economic life.

This came during the implementation by ADWAR of two round tables activities in Hebron and Gaza, through which a Position Paper was delivered to the decision-makers participants prepared by the Women’s Protection Committees in several communities, in which they expressed women’s demands, which include: official recognition of women’s work in Bedouin communities, adopting policies and working mechanisms that contribute to networking the projects of this group of women with the private sector so that they can sell their products, document the occupation’s violations of small income-generating projects, and provide material or in-kind compensation to women and young women whose projects were damaged as a result of the occupation’s violations.

Dr.Sahar Alkawasmeh ADWAR’s General Director, said: “These meetings come to raise the voice of women, and to communicate their voice to decision-makers,” stressing the need to stimulate women’s work and improve the reality of the services provided to them.

The meetings touched on the procedures and services provided by the Ministries of Economy and Labor to women, who enhance the participation of Bedouin and rural women in economic life. In turn, Suhaib AlAjrami, representative of the Ministry of Economy in Hebron, confirmed that they are fully prepared to provide effort and support for any project that serves women. Osama Nofal, Director of the Studies and Planning Department at the Ministry of Economy, said: “The ministry is ready to support women in developing their economic projects by integrating women into Labor incubators that guarantee the development of their capabilities, the provision of experts and consultants to develop the capabilities of women to manage their projects, and the facilitation of women’s registration in the commercial register. For his part, Muhammad Al-Majdalawi, Director of the Studies and Planning Department at the Ministry of Labor, confirmed that the Ministry of Labor is ready to provide specialists and legal advisors to educate women about the laws that guarantee their rights, in addition to providing a guidance and counseling unit for employment in order to prepare women to work in jobs. The Ministry of Labor in Hebron networked with Khallet Al-Dabaa and Masafer Bani Naim in order to provide professional courses on how to care for sheep and professional courses on project management, improving project efficiency, promotion and marketing mechanisms.

These meetings come within the framework of the project: “The economic activities of women in the priority communities are a painful reality and the absence of official recognition,” which is implemented by ADWAR Association in partnership with the Center for Democracy and Workers’ Rights, the Palestinian Working Women’s Association for Development, and the Cosby and Educid Foundations, with the support of the European Union.