Palestine

Palestinian women have long been leaders in their society. They have actively advanced the Palestinian agenda, served as civil society leaders, and led businesses.

Since the inception of negotiations with Israelis, Palestinian women have been intimately involved in talks, yet they have rarely been members of the highest level negotiating teams, are not recognized for their contributions, and have never served in the highest political offices in Palestine.

In 2005, Palestinian women, led by former Minister for Women’s Affairs and Women Waging Peace Network member Zahira Kamal, lobbied hard to increase women’s political representation in Palestine and secured Presidential Decree Number 24 endorsing UNSC Resolution 1325. They also secured a quota for women’s political representation in the Palestinian Legislative Council. One of the first three names on any party’s list must be a woman; then two of the next four, and one of the next five.

Five years later, however, Palestinian women remain excluded from government positions, as well as from the negotiating teams that will represent the Palestinians in any peace talks.

Inclusive Security’s Work in Palestine
In August 2010, Inclusive Security's Middle East Team travelled to Ramallah to discuss how best to advocate for women’s inclusion in negotiations and foreign-policy decision making.

In March 2010, Inclusive Security’s Middle East Team travelled to Ramallah to continue advancing women’s interests. They reconvened the group that participated in the November 2009 workshop to further discuss strategies to advance women’s inclusion. Participants developed key audiences and a set of recommendations around which their informal coalition of women leaders could begin to advocate. Inclusive Security also worked with UNIFEM to bring members of the International Women's Commission for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace to Washington, DC for a series of events and advocacy meetings.

In November 2009, Inclusive Security traveled to Ramallah to convene the women listed on its roster of Palestinian women experts around brainstorming gender priorities in negotiations and different negotiating structures that would give women more of a voice at the table.

In June 2008, Inclusive Security held a consultation of Israeli and Palestinian women leaders to strategize around increasing the role of women in negotiations. The Institute also helped organize screenings of "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" in Ramallah and Jerusalem to energize the public around women's inclusion in peace processes.

In 2005, the Institute provided financial and programmatic support for the US launch of the International Women's Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli Peace (IWC). It also provided programmatic support more recently to the IWC, organizing high-level advocacy in Washington, DC in November 2007 and March 2010. At the invitation of UNIFEM and the IWC, Carla Koppell, director of the Institute, participated in an August 2008 strategic planning meeting for IWC members. In October 2008, Ambassador Swanee Hunt, chair of the Institute, advised IWC members in conjunction with their visit to speak to UN Security Council members. 

In 2004, in conjunction with Harvard University’s Women and Public Policy Program, Inclusive Security brought together a dozen women Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a one-week dialogue on how women could play a greater role in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  That gathering resulted in several years of continued meetings facilitated by the US Department of State.

Inclusive Security Consultations and Trainings

March 2010 Consultations with women peace builders in Ramallah

November 2009 Consultations with women peace builders in Ramallah

Directory of Women Peace Experts

Learn more about Waging member Amal Jadou and other Palestinian members of the Women Waging Peace Network.

Conflict Background
BBC Country Profile
International Crisis Group reports
United States Institute of Peace

For more information on Inclusive Security’s work in Palestine, please contact Rebecca Miller or Allison Shean.