National and International Advocacy for Gender Justice and Sustainability
Being a human rights organization dedicated to advocating women’s rights for justice and equality, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), utilizes advocacy as one of the main fields of its strategic interventions and a cross-cutting activity among all the programs. For PWWSD, advocacy is executed on the local, national, regional, and global levels. The organization roots its advocacy in the concept that women’s rights are human rights that should be protected in all circumstances. PWWSD considers women’s rights indivisible and inalienable, with no tolerance for abusing these rights.
On the local and national levels, PWWSD grounds its advocacy in the applied Palestinian legal system, believing in the fact that laws are key issues in protecting women’s rights. The various decision-makers and policy designers are targeted in the advocacy activities on this level. PWWSD targets local authorities, ministries, and the various related actors. The focus is on developing women's and young women's capacity to become agents to design and execute advocacy initiatives on all possible levels. PWWSD provides women and young women with incubators (formal and informal structures, such as the shadow councils) as well as encouraging women to engage in the existing structures (CSOs, CBOs, cooperatives….). Within this level of advocacy, PWWSD promotes women’s political, social, economic, cultural, and safety rights.
On the international level, the advocacy interventions of PWWSD are grounded in international frameworks and conventions. In this regard, PWWSD refers to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPSA), the Beijing Platform of Action, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other related instruments. Within the international advocacy, PWWSD addresses the key international actors, including the United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council and the other commissions including Commissions of Inquiry), Commission on Status of Women (CSW), CEDAW Commission, United Nations Human Rights Council, EU countries' governments, and other effective international actors.
PWWSD’s advocacy seeks to transform systems, policies, and social norms that perpetuate inequality, ensuring that Palestinian women and girls can fully enjoy their rights, participate equally in society, and live with dignity, justice, and security.
To advance the realization of Palestinian women and girls’ rights by amplifying their voices, leadership, and lived experiences; strengthening access to justice, protection, and accountability; and advancing locally led, nationally rooted, and internationally connected advocacy efforts to promote effective international protection mechanisms, ensure accountability for perpetrators of violations against women’s rights, and safeguard their safety, dignity, meaningful participation, and recognition across political, social, and environmental justice processes.
Rooted in a feminist, human rights-based, and intersectional approach that takes into consideration the diverse experiences and status of Palestinian women and girls.
The principles of universality, indivisibility, and inalienability guide the advocacy efforts of PWWSD, ensuring that women’s rights are protected in all contexts.
Promote women-led advocacy, ensuring that affected communities are not only represented but are agents in shaping policies and decisions that affect their lives.
Ground the various advocacy interventions in evidence, research, documentation, and testimonies of women themselves about their living circumstances.
Ending all forms of gender-based discrimination and violence against women and girls.
Fostering legal protection and accountability mechanisms for violations of women and girls’ rights.
Advocating for harmonizing the Palestinian laws with international legal references, including CEDAW, UNDHR, ICCPR, and other related instruments.
Promoting women’s equal, effective, and meaningful participation in political and public life and decision-making circles.
Advancing women’s economic justice, including equal opportunities, decent work, and protection of women workers’ rights.
Promoting women and girls’ access to justice, protection services, and survivor-centered responses.
Advocating for women’s rights in contexts of occupation, armed conflicts, and lack of security, including the urgent need for effective international protection of women in accordance with the UN-related mechanisms
Promoting women’s role in climate justice, environmental sustainability, and community resilience.
Advocates for accountability of perpetrators of violations of women and girls’ rights through effective legal, institutional, and international mechanisms.
Challenges impunity and strengthens prevention, protection, and accountability channels
Supports women’s access to remedies, justice, and redress per national and international human rights standards.
Advocates for international actors to promote effective international protection mechanisms for Palestinian women and girls who are living under occupation and frequently military attacks
Engages with international human rights mechanisms to ensure that violations are documented, recognized and addressed by international actors.
Voices Palestinian women in global spaces, ensuring that their experiences inform international policies and responses.
Promotes the execution of the international commitments related to women’s rights, peace, security, and sustainable development.
Methods & Tools
- Policy dialogue and engagement with decision-makers, ministries, local authorities, and international actors
- Submit recommendations, shadow reports, and alternative reports to relevant international mechanisms.
- Community-Based Advocacy Campaigns and public awareness initiatives.
- Capacity building for women and young women as advocates, leaders, and rights defenders
- Building and participating in local, national, regional, and universal coalitions and networks to enhance collective work in advocating women's rights.
- Strategic communication to highlight women's lived experiences and shed light on priorities.
Women as Rights Defenders and Champions
- Recognizes women and young women as rights holders, leaders, and champions of social transformation.
- Supports women's collective action through formal and informal platforms and structures, including shadow councils, networks, community groups, and civil society spaces
- Develop women's ability to influence policies, claim their rights, and lead accountability activities.
Advocacy Grounded in International Law
Every campaign we run is anchored in CEDAW, the Beijing Platform and UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security.