Ministry of Labor on International Women's Day: 150,000 Female Workers in the West Bank and 57,000 Female Breadwinners in Gaza

SadaNews Economy - On the occasion of International Women's Day, which falls tomorrow, March 8th, each year, the Palestinian Ministry of Labor reviewed the reality of women’s participation in the labor market, confirming that empowering women economically and enhancing their participation in the labor market are national priorities.

The ministry explained in a report issued on this occasion that the number of female workers in the West Bank reached 150,100 in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to 144,800 female workers in the third quarter of the same year, indicating the employment of approximately 5,300 additional female workers, despite economic challenges and uncertainty in the labor market.

The number of unemployed women also decreased to 55,100, compared to 62,600 women in the third quarter of the same year, reflecting a decrease in the unemployment rate by 3.3 percentage points. However, this reduction was not accompanied by a noticeable improvement in the quality of available job opportunities.

The data indicates a continuation of several structural challenges, the most prominent of which are: the expansion of the informal work sector, as approximately 41.5% of male and female workers work without a written contract, and more than 30% work under verbal contracts. Additionally, there is limited social protection, as only 47.2% of female workers receive paid maternity leave.

The wage gap also remains, with the average daily wage for females at 118.1 shekels compared to 141.2 shekels for males, while the unemployment rate for women in camps is 38.7%. In contrast, the unemployment rate among young women in the age group (15–29 years) decreased to 40.6%, compared to 45.6% in the third quarter of 2025.

The percentage of women registered in trade unions and professional associations was recorded at 29.1%, surpassing the percentage of male membership, which was 15.6%. This reflects an increasing awareness among women of the importance of trade union work in defending their rights and enhancing labor protection, particularly rights related to the uniqueness of working women, such as the right to paid maternity leave.

In the Gaza Strip, the ministry confirmed that economic conditions are witnessing unprecedented deterioration, with the sector's economy shrinking by 83% during 2024, while the unemployment rate exceeded 80%. Over 57,000 women have become breadwinners for their families under harsh living and humanitarian conditions due to the decline in economic activity and the loss of sources of income.

Minister of Labor Inas Al-Attari affirmed that these indicators reflect a difficult economic and social reality in which women bear double burdens, requiring intensified national and international efforts to enhance family resilience and economically empower women.

She emphasized that economically empowering women and enhancing their participation in the labor market is a national priority within the efforts aimed at enhancing community resilience and achieving more equitable and inclusive economic development.

The Ministry of Labor reiterated its commitment to continue working on enhancing women's participation in the labor market, providing a decent, safe, family-friendly work environment free from all forms of discrimination, violence, and harassment, in line with national laws and international agreements ratified by the State of Palestine.

The ministry explained in its report that it continues to develop its policies and programs aimed at: enhancing the mandatory nature of written contracts and applying the minimum wage, reducing the economic participation gap between women and men, expanding social protection coverage and ensuring maternity rights,

supporting gender-sensitive vocational and technical training aligned with labor market needs,

and supporting and expanding the model of women’s cooperatives as an approach to sustainable collective employment, developing flexible financing tools, enhancing digital financial inclusion for women, and launching interventions for productive economic recovery in the Gaza Strip targeting families led by women, and strengthening oversight on applying decent work standards and ensuring equal opportunities and equal pay for work of equal value.