The Foundation - Civil and political rights - Palestinian Authority

MIFTAH wants to strengthen women’s access to decision-making positions

27.04.2017 / Created by (EMWF)
MIFTAH wants to strengthen women’s access to decision-making positions

In Palestine, women and youth are underrepresented in local councils, in political bodies and in the public life. Decision-making positions are held by middle-aged men. Therefore, the association The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy - MIFTAH undertook to study how to improve the formulation of policies in order to ensure a greater representation of women and youth within the Palestinian political system, particularly in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The research will focus on Ramallah region, but it will also study the situation in the rest of the West Bank and Gaza because the chosen issue is related to the political participation at national level as well.

In order to collect data and some ideas, MIFTAH relies on a participatory methodology and organizes different meetings with strategic partners such as: Arab World for Research and Development, General Union of Palestinian Women, the Media and Culture Unit of the PLO, youth activists of Palestinian political factions, the members of university students councils, the members of the group of “Future leaders” from MIFTAH). Thus, a steering and advisory committee was established in March 2017, and some discussion groups were held since early April in order to prepare a preliminary diagnosis. The outcomes of this diagnosis will be discussed in a press conference, which will gather some media, decision makers of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the PLO and other relevant actors, in order to validate the results and to develop a field project proposal which will be implemented afterwards.

Miftah was selected has been selected following a call for proposals promoted by the Foundation in 2016, to coordinate a local cluster of gender equality actors© in 2017. Its diagnosis about the reasons that prevent women and youth from own decision-making positions within the Palestinian political system will be published in the Documentation Center of the platform and widely disseminated across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The Miftah action corresponds to the pilot mobilization actions for 2016 (Cycle 2). It is framed within the Axis 1 “Strengthening the capacities of actors working for gender equality” of the project "Women of the Future in the Mediterranean" funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI).

For more information about local clusters of gender equality actors set up by the Foundation, click here.

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