Ramallah & Gaza / PNN /
The Democracy and Workers' Rights Center, in partnership with the National Society for Rehabilitation and the National Coalition “My Right", launched the "Partners for Equity, Partners for Change" project, in Ramallah and Gaza yesterday. The project, funded by the European Union, was inaugurated in the presence of Mr. Ibrahim Laafia, Head of Cooperation at the Office of the European Union Representative (West Bank & Gaza Strip, UNRWA), and representatives from civil society organizations, official institutions, and higher education institutions.
The project aims at enhancing Palestinian civil society organizations’ contribution to advancing equal rights and opportunities in Palestine, in particular the socio-economic rights of women and persons with disabilities.
The project will work to strengthen the capacities of women’s civil society organizations and other member organizations of the National Coalition "My Right" in strengthening the economic, social, and cultural rights of women, including women with disabilities, increasing the awareness and knowledge of the youth, and engaging them in promoting labor rights, as well as the social and economic rights of women and women with disabilities. Additionally, the project will foster cooperation and dialogue between grassroots civil society organizations and governmental institutions in order to create an enabling environment for women’s work, improve civil society monitoring, and advocate for national bodies to fulfill their commitments towards enhancing the social and economic rights of women and women with disabilities.
The project targets 300 members, activists, and representatives of the designated civil society organizations. It also seeks to engage and benefit 12,000 women and men in the targeted communities through its activities, including at least 6,000 youth and 200 persons with disabilities. Additionally, the project will facilitate dialogue with 100 decision-makers, officials, and employees from key ministries and relevant governmental institutions at the national, regional, and local levels.
In her address on behalf of the Democracy and Workers' Rights Center, the Center’s Financial and Administrative Director, Mrs. Sana Asbah, welcomed the attendees and participants at the project launch event in the West Bank, with others joining via Zoom from the Gaza Strip. She expressed DWRC’s high appreciation for the ongoing support from the European Union, which has contributed to the successful implementation of previous projects aimed at strengthening the role of Palestinian civil society. She added: “Through our programs and the ‘Partners for Equity, Partners for Change’ project, we look forward to working towards justice, equality, and equity for women in all fields of life. We aim to have supportive laws and legislation that protect women’s rights, and lead to providing creative and innovative elements for success, along with a supportive environment and empowerment programs.”
For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Laafia, Head of Cooperation at the Office of the European Union Representative at the European Union Representative Office (West Bank & Gaza Strip, UNRWA), thanked the project organizers and the attendees, who represent the strength of cooperation and partnership between Palestinian civil society institutions and the European Union and Palestine.
He said that “the launch of the project today is important for us at the European Union, as we place great importance on our partnership with Palestine and Palestinian civil society, especially since one of the goals of this partnership is to enhance the role of women in society, the labor market, and all levels, so that they can play their role as a fundamental actor in building society and a prosperous economy”.
In his speech via Zoom, Mr. Jamal Al-Rozzi, Director of the National Society for Rehabilitation, said that “the project’s value stems from the fact that the Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center works to empower people to attain their rights, including persons with disabilities, while our association works on the inclusion of persons with disabilities and granting them their rights to social and economic justice.” He added that “the project was designed before the war in Gaza, but it will contribute to bringing persons with disabilities and women to social justice and providing them with opportunities to access the labor market with dignity and equality.”
Mrs. Muyassar Waqad, Director of the Women’s Center in Ain Sultan Camp and representative of the “My Right” National Coalition, said that “the coalition was formed in partnership with a group of grassroots and civil society organizations to empower women, whose social and economic rights are violated. She added that the coalition has managed to build strategic capacities and will work on implementing real programs on the ground, not just advocacy, and will highlight women, their struggles, and the inappropriate working environment.”
This project, which will be implemented until January 2028, is supported by the European Union through a grant of 760,491 EUR through the Thematic Programmed for Civil Society Organizations under the Neighborhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).
