On the occasion of the International Women's Day, the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development implements its festival “Our Right...Our Priority”

The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development, implemented on Tuesday 19/03/2023, its festival “Our Right…Our Priority” in Jericho, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. The festival was attended by 230 representatives of civil society organizations, women workers, project owners, women activists, leaders in local and shadow councils. The festival included a number of artistic pieces and the honoring of a number of women. 

Faten Abu Zaarour, vice chair of  PWWSD’s Board, greeted all Palestinian women highlighting what they face while living under the occupation, and said: “the month March has two special events: women’s day and mothers’ day, and we aim to promote women’s economic rights”.

From her side, Yusra Sweiti, Deputy Governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley, said: “the Palestinian government fights all forms of gender based discrimination against women, through mechanisms and procedures in line with the Palestinian laws that provide the best services, support, promotion, empowerment and protection, leading to a violence free society”. 

Highlighting the situation of Palestinian working women working in the Israeli Labor Market and Settlements, Miasar Waqad, a member of the National Coalition “My Right” for Women's Economic Rights to achieve Decent Work, said: “working in the Israeli Labor Market and Settlements means living in constant anxiety and not feeling safe.” She added: “women workers in this sector work for long working hours, and are exposed to the fear of getting dismissed, thus they accept working in poor work conditions”.

The first women to be elected as a mayor in "Beit Liqya" in the Ramallah governorate, Areej Al-Assi said: “I faced many challenges as the first women to be elected as a mayor for a town with 12,000 people, but women are able to do anything and can reach leadership positions within her society”.

Basma al-Naji, the manager of the Economic Empowerment Program at PWWSD, addressed the importance of reforming the political system, the need to provide statistics about gender and economic & social indicators related to the labor market in Palestine, and the need to review the Personal Status Law that is applied in the West Bank & the Governing Family Rights Law in Gaza, in line with the recommendations of the Palestinian Civil Society.

This conference is part of the project “Gender Equality in the Economic Field: Our Right and Our Priority”, that the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development implements in partnership with the Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center, COSPE and EducAid, and funded by the European Union.