Ref: 18/2009

Date: 11 June 2009

PCHR Concludes the First of a Series of Training Courses on Women’s Rights

On 11 June 2009, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) Training and Women’s Rights Units concluded a specialized training course on women’s rights in the central Gaza Strip. PCHR’s Training and Women’s Rights Units organize three training courses targeting female social activists across the Gaza Strip each year. This was the first course run in 2009, further specialized training courses on women’s rights will be organized over the coming months.

The training course was organized in al-Maghazi Cultural Center in al-Maghazi refugee camp from 7 to 11 June 2009 for 5 successive days (20 training hours) with 18 female social activists in attendance. The participants represented eight community-based organizations in the central Gaza Strip.

Bassam Shahin, Director of al-Maghazi Cultural Center, gave a closing speech. He appreciated PCHR’s role with respect to disseminating human rights culture amongst female social activists. He hoped that participants would acquire the knowledge and skills need to help them advance the status of women in the central Gaza Strip. He called upon the participants to convey what they acquired during the course to their colleagues in their organizations.

Bassam al-Aqraa’, Director of PCHR’s Training Unit, explained that the content of this training course focused on women’s rights as codified in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the most important and comprehensive convention on women’s rights. He added that the topics discussed in the course were: historical development of women’s rights; the principle of discrimination against women; legal rights ensured to women under CEDAW; women’s economic; social and cultural rights as ensured under CEDAW; women’s political participation under CEDAW; steps required to be taken by States in order to apply the provisions and terms of CEDAW; the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and instructions on how to submit reports to the Committee; as well as other important topics including gender.

A team of specialized trainers from PCHR conducted the training. The members of the training team were: Muna al-Shawa, Director of PCHR Women’s Rights Unit; Majda Shehata, researcher at PCHR’s Women’s Rights Unit; Samir Hassaniya, lawyer at PCHR Women’s Rights Unit; Hanan Matar, lawyer at PCHR Women’s Rights Unit; Bassam al-Aqraa’, Director of PCHR Trainign Unit; Salah Abu Hatab, social activist; and Khalil Shahin, Director of PCHR Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Unit.

Participants appreciated PCHR’s efforts aimed at disseminating the culture of women’s rights and human rights amongst female social activists and female workers in community-based organizations. They emphasized that the material presented in the course was of significant importance. They said that different training tools were used during the course, which encouraged them to actively participate in fruitful discussions.

On the last day, certificates of participation were handed to trainees.