On April 1st, 2019, Hiwar Center for Youth and Women’s Empowerment organized a policy dialogue in Ramallah (Palestine) on women’s participation in public life. The event aimed at raising political parties, politicians and the broader public’s awareness on the importance of women´s contribution to the decision-making, while advocating for the raise of women’s quotas in elected bodies to 30% instead of the 20% currently stipulated by the Palestinian law on local elections.

In her opening-speech, Mrs. Iman Abdul Rahman, Head of Hiwar center, explained that this dialogue is meant to complement the "Elections are you and I, not you without me” campaign which was conducted in the three towns of Beitunia, Kafarnaama and Deir Ibzia in order to highlight the importance of women’s effective participation in local political entities.

Over 65 eminent figures from different political parties and factions such as Khalida Jarrar, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Siham Al Barghouthi, ex-Minister of culture and member of the Palestinian Democratic Union, participated in this dialogue, along with representatives of the government of the Palestinian Authority, the ministries of Local Government, Women’s Affairs and the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates-, as well as the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and the General Union of Palestinian Women. The dialogue also included representatives of local associations, international NGOs and agencies such as UN Women, GIZ, academics, from Al Khalil University in particular, and number of civil society actors.

The dialogue resulted in several recommendations, particularly:

• Empowering women economically to enhance their participation in political life.
• Establishing a national committee of all relevant organizations and institutions including the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) to lobby for raising women’s quota to 30%.
• Preparing and supporting women to run for the upcoming 2021 elections, through raising their self-esteem and providing them with a set of necessary skills.
• Encouraging and facilitating the participation of women with disabilities in elections, whether as candidates or as voters.
• Promoting human rights, especially women’s right to take part in political life and in educational institutions.
• Creating alliances and networks among relevant actors to defend women’s rights.
• Supporting women’s organizations and entities.

The event was covered by different media outlets such as Sawa news Agency, Emirates Voice,  Al Quds Educational Satellite Channel, Elwatan Elyoum News, and Ajyal Radion Network.

Both the policy dialogue and campaign are part of the project CSO WINS «Capacity building in Southern Mediterranean to open policy dialogue and monitoring for women in society» funded by the European Union. CSO WINS is coordinated by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) within the framework of the action of the Euro-Mediterranean Women’s Foundation (FFEM), in partnership with the Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association – Asala, Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), Association Djazairouna for the Victims of Terrorism, Forum Femmes Méditerranée (FFM), the Federation of Women´s Rights’ Leagues (Fédération des ligues des droits des femmes, FLDF) and the Euro-Mediterranean Academic and Scientific Network on Women and Gender (Réseau universitaire et scientifique euro-méditerranéen sur les femmes et le genre – RUSEMEG)

More information are available in the link below.