The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Ms. Mona Al-Khalili, met with Simon Ridley, Director of the SAWASYA III Programme in Palestine, to discuss a number of priority issues

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Ms. Mona Al-Khalili, met with Simon Ridley, Director of the SAWASYA III Programme in Palestine, to discuss a number of priority issues. These included strengthening interventions aimed at supporting and empowering Palestinian women, enhancing access to justice, reviewing legislation to advance equality and social justice, and directing international programmes in a manner consistent with national needs. The discussions were particularly important in light of the repercussions of the ongoing aggression against the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the complex challenges it has imposed on women and girls. The meeting was attended by Hanan Qamar, SAWASYA Programme Manager at UN Women, and Dr. Hanna Nakhleh, Adviser to the Minister of Women’s Affairs for Foreign Relations.

Minister Al-Khalili reviewed the efforts led by the Ministry during the recent period, foremost among them the launch of the National Observatory for Monitoring Violence against Women. The Observatory serves as a national mechanism for documenting, monitoring, and analysing various forms of violence, thereby enabling the development of policies and strategies based on accurate data and guiding the interventions of the Government and international partners in accordance with actual needs across different areas.

The Minister also reaffirmed that work is continuing to review legislation and laws related to the protection of women and families, foremost among them the Personal Status Law and the Family Protection from Violence Law. This process is being pursued through a participatory approach involving government institutions, women’s civil society organizations, and human rights organizations. She stressed that developing the legislative framework constitutes a fundamental pillar for strengthening protection and empowering women, alongside integrating gender issues into government policies and programmes and enhancing international partnerships in support of national priorities.

Her Excellency, also addressed developments concerning women’s political participation, noting the relative improvement in the rates of candidacy and electoral success in the most recent local elections. She emphasized the continued efforts to establish a minimum representation rate of 30 per cent for women in political bodies and decision-making positions. She further highlighted the strengthening of national efforts within the framework of the National Committee to Combat Violence against Women, including the National Referral System, the management of high-risk cases, and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. These efforts are being pursued amid the escalating challenges resulting from the repercussions of the aggression, which have given rise to new forms of violence requiring a collective and integrated response.

The Minister stressed that the continuation of violations and settler attacks places a clear responsibility on the international community to take effective measures to halt these violations, protect Palestinian women, and strengthen the human rights framework.

As Mr. Simon Ridley, the director of the Joint SAWASYA Programme in Palestine, affirmed that women in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip, have paid a heavy price. He noted that women constitute the majority of displaced persons and that the number of female-headed households is increasing, resulting in growing health and legal needs.

He further explained that certain groups of women face heightened vulnerability, including women with disabilities, some of whom have experienced marginalization following injury, as well as widows facing challenges related to child custody and childcare within an extremely complex social and humanitarian context. He also referred to the extensive destruction in the Gaza Strip and the urgent need for broad reconstruction efforts, particularly in the health and education sectors. He emphasized the importance of providing safe spaces for women that ensure privacy and respond to their needs under the current circumstances, alongside the need to strengthen interventions across various sectors to address their growing needs effectively.

Mr. Ridley stressed the importance of continuing to develop and review the protection system for women. He noted that the Programme is working, in partnership with the Government, to develop a national strategy for the National Protection Plan. This includes strengthening and evaluating the components and centres of the protection system to ensure its effectiveness and integration among the various partners.

He concluded by reaffirming the commitment of the SAWASYA Programme to working alongside with the relevant Palestinian institutions to support the protection and empowerment of women amid a complex and difficult reality that requires a comprehensive and sustainable response.

The meeting finalized with both parties agreeing to continue their work on issues related to the protection of women and girls, as well as on laws and legislation concerning the protection of women and families.