Ref: 08/2007

Date: 01 March  2007

Women’s Unit Holds a Meeting with Women’s and Civil Society Organizations in the Northern Gaza Strip

On Wednesday, 28 February 2007, PCHR’s Women’s Unit organized an open meeting with representatives of women’s and civil society organizations in the northern Gaza Strip. More than 20 women participated in the meeting that was held in PCHR’s Jabalia branch office in Jabalia refugee camp.

The meeting was organized to exchange expertise and formulate future coordination and cooperation between the participating organizations. It comes as part of the Center’s networking efforts to improve public awareness and legal aid services for women.

Mona El-Shawwa (Women’s Unit director) opened the meeting by pointing to the purpose and expected results from the gathering. She stressed the importance of exchange of expertise so as to learn about the real needs of Palestinian women. She also pointed to the fact that the Women’s Unit held a similar meeting in Khan Yunis with organizations in the southern Gaza Strip.

Jaber Weshah (PCHR’s deputy director) talked about the importance of coordination between different organizations, so as to improve services rendered to women by local organizations.

Hanan Matar (Women’s Unit lawyer) talked about legal aid and counseling given to women. In addition, she talked about public awareness activities targeting women. Furthermore, Matar pointed to the coordination mechanisms of the Women’s Unit with other local organizations.

Samir Hasaneyya (Women’s Unit lawyer) talked about the unit’s lobbying efforts aiming to correlate local laws with international standards, especially the Personal Statute Law. In addition, he briefed participants on the Support Fund Law for the year 2004, which came in effect recently. He pointed to how this law can be used to secure financial support for women if their husbands fail in paying it.

An open discussion followed in which participants presented their experiences. In addition, participants formulated some recommendations to the Women’s Unit:

–         Organizing regular capacity-building meetings for young female lawyers in the northern Gaza Strip;

–         Underlining the importance of public awareness to women of their rights, especially with regards to the new Support Fund Law and its implementation mechanisms;

–         Conducting a study on divorce;

–         Increasing networking ties between women’s and civil society organizations in the northern Gaza Strip;

–         Organizing training courses for women’s organizations in the northern Gaza Strip;

–         Incorporating men in public awareness lectures in the northern Gaza Strip; and

–         Targeting young men and women, especially young couples, in public awareness activities on the personal statute law.