Ramallah – September 8: The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) conducted a series of awareness workshops in the governorates of Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Yatta, and the Gaza Strip targeting young women and men, grassroots organizations, and shadow councils, and attended by heads of local councils and political party representatives, as part of the campaign “you and me: one homeland”.
The workshops addressed the significance of shadow councils supporting women in decision-making positions by targeting female candidates, as well as the supportive role of shadow council members towards local councilwomen, thus participating in active citizenship. In addition to the participatory role of women in decision-making positions, working on meeting the needs of their local communities and changing the stereotypical image of women’s leadership roles, as well as women’s representation in electoral lists.
The sessions also focused on the importance of local elections and election law, and the need to lobby for applying the Palestinian Central Council resolution raising women’s quota to 30% in decision-making positions. Additionally, the workshops discussed the negotiations with political parties regarding women’s order in the top positions of local council electoral lists.
Head of Beita municipal council, Wassef Maala asserted the importance of women’s presence in these lists to embody their social and political roles.
One participant said, “it is important for women to be in electoral lists to show their essential role in society”. He added that the local community needs to support women and form alliances and supportive bodies for female candidates, as well as efficient electoral campaigns, all in accordance with local election law asserting the right to vote and run for office.
Head of Jalamah village council, Khaled Abu Farha expressed the need to work with the local community to support women, and emphasized the significance of forming alliances and committees to support female candidates.
Shadow council member, Suhad Shaaban noted women’s active role in developing women’s role in Jalamah, meeting their needs and deepening their resilience, especially because Jalamah is a marginalized border area, with an Israeli checkpoint and land under threat of confiscation by the Israeli occupation.
Participants recommended that political parties commit to the honor code they signed calling for a higher percentage of women in electoral lists, as well as the need to practice electoral rights as legitimate rights affirmed by Palestinian election law, in addition to the need to strengthen women’s political participation in local councils.
These workshops come from PWWSD’s goal of encouraging women to take an active role in decision making in personal and social life, as well as developing women’s participation in decision-making bodies, and supporting their representation in top social and political positions.
It is worth noting that the “Ana wa Anta: Watan Wahed” campaign is a joint effort by PWWSD and the Association of Women Committees for Social Work, as part of the program for “Supporting and Strengthening Women’s Political Participation in Palestine”, in partnership with UN Women, the Central Elections Commission, and funded by the Norwegian government.