Conference of the Network of Civil Society Organizations Recommends Expanding Women's and Youth Participation

SadaNews - The conference organized by the Palestinian Network of Civil Society Organizations earlier today featured the participation of youth, grassroots organizations, representatives of official bodies and donors, and was held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip via video conference. It emphasized the need to enhance cooperation and joint coordination, integrating efforts at both the official and civil levels with international institutions and donors to implement a strategy aimed at bolstering the participation of women and youth within an environment that supports resilience. The conference also recommended finding the necessary tools to empower youth to face challenges amid the current circumstances and the struggles faced by the Palestinian community, particularly due to escalating occupation policies, whether through the ongoing acts of genocide in Gaza or the ethnic cleansing and Judaization policies in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Numerous recommendations underscored the importance of the civil sector taking responsibility as a fundamental pillar in protecting the public space for youth and women's participation. It was also advised to begin implementing advocacy and welfare strategies for women and youth to mobilize energies, advocate, and review policies and regulations to enhance participation across all domains, pushing towards youth leadership equipped with knowledge and awareness, and reforming bloated structures towards the right to nominate and participate in elections. The recommendations also called for the implementation of international resolutions and laws that allow for the representation of youth, women, and marginalized groups in villages, camps, targeted areas, Bedouin communities, and persons with disabilities in all fields, aligning national laws with international laws, increasing participation in international platforms, and institutionalizing welfare in its broad sense as a fundamental cross-sectoral issue within a work environment that ensures equality, justice, and human dignity.

Sabreen Amouri, the coordinator of the network, opened the conference with a welcoming speech emphasizing the importance of activating the role of youth and women and addressing the situations that hinder their participation amid current developments. The timing of the conference was significant with the presence of civil institutions, official bodies, and international supportive entities, as well as discussing the study that was prepared along with its methodology and the tools used according to the network's vision and goals throughout its long-standing mission.

Bahia Omra, a member of the coordination committee, delivered the network's speech at the opening session, emphasizing the importance of complementary efforts among all components and working to protect the rights of the most vulnerable groups, particularly youth and women. She outlined a Palestinian strategy that enhances the status and presence of women and youth in the Palestinian community, addressing essential needs amid unprecedented challenges to face dangers within a comprehensive vision.

Vincent Viani, speaking for the Belgian Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, referred to the difficult circumstances facing the operations of both civil and official institutions, noting the role of supporting entities that should not be limited to financial support but rather enhance presence in civil space, expressing readiness to continue cooperation and develop relations with civil institutions, and the network as a broad umbrella for civil work.

For his part, Iyad Al-Araj, who spoke on behalf of Oxfam, emphasized the unprecedented humanitarian challenges requiring work by international supporting entities to overcome difficulties and obstacles hindering civil work and protecting the rights of marginalized groups, particularly youth and women, calling for continuous relations with partner institutions and pledging that Oxfam will work with youth and women in all fields.

The Minister of Labor, Inas Al-Attari, who delivered a speech at the conference, stressed the exceptional conditions affecting all aspects of life, describing the discourse around welfare in Palestine as inseparable from the prevailing political and economic reality, pointing to the deprivation of hundreds of workers from accessing their workplaces, and the successive economic crises reflected in official statistics on the number of unemployed and the rising unemployment rates, especially among young women and youth. She called for defining the concept of welfare from a more comprehensive perspective, indicating the continuation of implementing policies by the Ministry of Labor to enhance employment opportunities and economic empowerment through national employment services, urging the development of welfare as a comprehensive national policy linking employment issues with decent work and community resilience to achieve sustainability for youth based on national partnership among all.

The first session of the conference featured extensive discussions and interventions, wherein researcher Iyad Anab presented a strategy for mobilization, advocacy, and community protection mechanisms for youth-led civil organizations and those serving youth in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, followed by comments from Mohsen Abu Ramadan from the Dr. Haidar Abdul Shafi Foundation, and Jamil Suwalmeh from ActionAid, one of the international partners. Dr. Hana Nakhleh, advisor to the Minister of Women's Affairs, and Mujahid Salameh, the deputy of the Higher Council for Youth and Sports, participated, with the session moderated by Abi Aboudi, director of Bisan Research and Development Institute. The second session focused on presenting the welfare strategy to strengthen the due care of youth defenders of human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with the media strategy presented by Lubna Ashqar, followed by comments from Sana Shbeita, director of the Mothers' School, and from international partners Suhair Ramadan from Oxfam, Rami Mehdawi, assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Labor, and session facilitator Ayeh Khateeb from the Youth Development Association. The final recommendations were presented by Mahmoud Hamad from the network's office in Gaza. Numerous important questions and discussions were raised during the sessions regarding youth participation in decision-making, enabling persons with disabilities to work, addressing the catastrophic conditions in Gaza and their implications for unemployment rates, in addition to attempts to encourage soft migration by the occupation.