YWCA Palestine meets with the Ministry of Awqaf to discuss women's empowerment matter and their role in society

Ramallah – A dialogue meeting was held bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Awqaf and a group of young female volunteers from the Young Women Christian Association Palestine. The meeting aimed to strengthen communication between youth and official institutions to open a discussion on issues concerning women of all ages, as well as the Ministry’s role in supporting and empowering them.

The meeting was attended by representatives of partner institutions involved in the program implemented by YWCA Palestine in partnership with the Women's Psycho-social Counseling Center, Al-Harah Theater, YWCA Jerusalem, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, along with several young women participating in the project.

 At the beginning of the meeting, Ms. Ruba Odeh presented the main goals and programs of the YWCA, particularly highlighting the “Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Advocacy, and Accountability (YW4A)" program. This five-year project targeted the governorates of Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Salfit, and Nablus. She explained that the project was initially planned to be implemented in the Gaza Strip, but the ongoing war and the genocide prevented its execution there. She emphasized that the program served as an effective tool for change in collaboration with human rights and cultural institutions, focusing on advocacy and support campaigns for issues affecting women such as domestic violence, the legal age of marriage, political participation, and a campaign to combat harassment in the workplace.

Ms. Odeh also pointed out that the war on Gaza had a severe impact on women economically, socially, and psychologically, further highlighting the urgent need to pass a law criminalizing domestic violence.

For his part, Mr. Nabil Abu Arah, a representative of the Ministry of Awqaf, spoke about the Ministry’s efforts to support women's issues. He affirmed that the Ministry places special importance on this topic by dedicating portions of mosque sermons to highlight women’s roles in society—especially amid ongoing attacks faced by the Palestinian people. He also noted the presence of a specialized department for women's affairs within the Ministry and confirmed the Ministry’s full readiness to collaborate with women’s organizations to enhance family stability and women protection.

Mr. Abu Arah further mentioned that the Ministry works on training male and female public speakers to reinforce family and societal understanding, advocating to pass Family Protection Bill from Violence.

Meanwhile, Ms. Selina Abdullah from YWCA Palestine emphasized the importance of such meetings in promoting dialogue with decision-makers, shedding light on women's rights within a legal framework, and raising awareness of acceptable practices in the current context, as well as the role that institutions play in supporting women.

In conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed to submit proposals to the Ministry to be included in mosque sermons and religious activities, along with organizing workshops that address issues related to women and families.

It is worth noting that the YWCA is a long-standing association that operates in villages and marginalized areas, with a broad presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It focuses on empowering young women and giving them the opportunity to express their realities and aspirations.

The program is implemented over a five-year period with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the Embassies of the Netherlands in the four participating countries. It is based on collaboration between local and international partners and was designed by four organizations in a joint coalition: YWCA Palestine, YWCA Kenya, Christian Agency for Peace and Development (CAPaD) – South Sudan, and the Ibrahimia Media Center in Egypt, in addition to technical partners: World YWCA, Equality Now, the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), and the Faith to Action Network.