A seminar About SDG 5: Women Demand Permanent Marketing points for their products in coordination with local authorities and provide them with grants rather than Loans

Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development- PWWSD, held a seminar in Nablus City with the participation of 40 participants, about SDG 5 “Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls”. The seminar was attended by women from local cooperatives and women owners of business projects as well as representatives of partner organizations. Furthermore, the seminar was attended by representatives of related ministries and official institutions. The seminar is within the activities of the project ”Gender Equality in the Economic Sphere- Our Right Our Priority”, which is implemented in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in partnership with the Democracy and Workers Rights Center (DWRC), Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development and the two Italian organizations (Cospe and Educaid) and funded by the EU.

Researcher Ms. Sumaia Al Safadi presented a policy paper “The Status of SDG 5 in Palestine”, which included an analysis of the indicators of SDG 5 and related indicators derived from the reports of the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics. Additionally, the researcher surveyed the report of the State of Palestine about Progress made Toward Achieving the SDGs in Palestine and the drafted report of the role of the seventeenth Palestinian Government in this regard as well as surveying the report of the government for Beijing +20. The researcher presented the major recommendations saying: “the necessity to commence regular assessment of the indicators of the SDG 5 and develop a plan of indicators to respond to these indicators within the performance of the various Palestinian actors. Additionally, the researcher recommended the necessity to take into consideration the indicators of SDG 5 within developing the national and cross-sectoral developmental plans. Furthermore, to survey economic empowerment and economic rights of women as well as the need to develop an index for the digital GBV”.

Mr. Mahmoud Mashaqi, the representative of the Ministry of Labor highlighted the role of the Ministry in endorsing SDG 5 within the plans of the ministry and added: “The Ministry is operating 8 economic projects dedicated to improving the economic status of households”.

Mr. Basshar Al Seifi, the director of the Ministry of National Economy Directorate in Nablus, highlighted in his speech, the role of the Ministry in supporting women who have their business projects. Additionally, the speaker mentioned the EU Program to support entrepreneurial women who run their projects. The speaker added that the program provides the needed equipment for women to improve their projects such as providing ovens, refrigerators,  and other equipment. Additionally, Al Seifi tackled other programs implemented by the Ministry of National Economy in supporting women's economic projects. The speaker encouraged women to register their projects that are exempted from taxes and to register their names in the commercial record. Likewise, the speaker expressed the ministry’s willingness to contribute to supporting women who run business projects by facilitating their participation in national and international fairs as well as providing women with other forms of support and facilitation.

Ms. Haneen Masri, the head of the forests and pastors department within the Ministry of Agriculture, addressed the participants speaking on behalf of the ministry and highlighting its role in supporting women cooperatives and CBOs. Additionally, the speaker highlighted the role of the Ministry in supporting women breadwinners of the families and women with disability. Moreover, she mentioned that the Ministry arranges specialized training such as bee breading and other activities, that target women directly.

On a related level, the member of the administrative board of the Nablus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ms. Lina Al Tamimi, highlighted the training provided by the chamber for entrepreneurial women as well as coordination with local and international organizations. Additionally, the speaker highlighted other vocational training such as sewing, fashion design, E-marketing, and business administration. The speaker added: “I urge the organization to inform women about the economic projects that are supported by the various ministries as well as expanding the circle of training and opportunities available for women involved in economic projects. It is also necessary to provide women with grants rather than loans to strengthen their projects”.

Participants recommended to provide permanent marketing points for women products as well as the necessity to facilitate for women to benefit from the services of the Chambers of Commerce and to strengthen the coordination between the various ministries to support women economically.

For more information, please contact:

Mali Barqawi,

PWWSD

Phone: 0597933504