Management Response

: Palestine
: 2018 - 2022 , Palestine (CO)
: Final Evaluation of the “Advancing the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the oPt
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Palestine

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The Country Office has developed a Project related to Advancing the Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine based on the findings of the evaluation.

: Approved
Recommendation: General Recommendation: The developed UNSCR 1325 NPA corresponds to national priorities with emphasizes on holding Israel accountable for its action towards Palestinian men, women, boys, and girls. For a more comprehensive UNSCR 1325 NAP, it is essential that women’s participation in the decision-making process, including reconciliation and peace talks, is prioritized in any intervention related to the Women’s Peace and Security Agenda. Balancing the prevention, protection, participation and accountability components in the next UNSCR 1325 NAP should be a priority.
Management Response: UN Women acknowledge the gaps in the UNSCR 1325 NAP. Findings of this evaluation and the findings generated from UN Women "Lessons Learned for NAP-1325 Drafters: Addressing the Needs and Rights of Women and Girls: An Analysis of the Text of the Iraq, Jordan and Palestine National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (2018)" were shared with the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Higher National Committee on UNSCR 1325. Efforts will be taken to develop a more comprehensive second generation NAP that balance prevention, protection, participation and accountability components.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop the second generation National Action Plan taking into consideration the analysis of the first generation NAP. he Higher National Committee for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325; National Coalition on UNSCR 1325 2020/03 Completed The Ministry of Women's Affairs led the process of developing the 2nd Generation NAP with the technical support of UN Women. The Final draft of the 2nd Generation NAP was launched on 28 October 2020.
Disseminate the results of the"Balancing Priorities: Lessons and Good Practices from Iraq, Jordan and Palestine for NAP-1325 Drafting Teams" to the national stakeholders responsible for drafting the second generation NAP. UN Women 2020/07 Completed Results of the Balancing Priorities: Lessons and Good Practices from Iraq, Jordan and Palestine for NAP-1325 Drafting Teams" were disseminated to the 1325 Higher National Committee and was used to develop the 2nd Generation NAP. The second generation NAP integrates all lessons learned and recommendations that were highlighted in the assessment.
Recommendation: Continue to focus on interventions that will develop the institutional, organizational and individual capacities at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 NAP; assess organizational barriers that might hinder the effective role of MOWA in implementing the Monitoring and Evaluation System.
Management Response: Efforts will be invested to support the development of a well-established NAP monitoring and evaluation system hosted at MoWA, in alignment with international standards. Based on consultations with MOWA as the lead of the Higher National Committee, tailored capacity building on the M&E system, reporting on NAP implementation and high-level advocacy will be provided. MoWA will also lead on the development of an observatory on women’s human rights violations in the framework of UNSCR 1325 and on the organization of a high- level international conference to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1325 resolution.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Support MoWA to further develop the established NAP monitoring and evaluation system (hosted within MoWA). This is planned for 2022. UN Women 2021/12 Completed With support from UN Women, a new M&E System for the second-generation NAP was developed, tested and piloted in 2022. MoWA will use it to monitor the NAP implementation progress and achievement of results.
The M*E System for the the NAP is not yet develpoped. Plans are to develop the system in 2022 and orgnize the trainigs in 2022. Organize training on the M&E monitoring and reporting system targeting members of UNSCR 1325 National Committee and key partners. UN Women 2021/12 Completed With support from UN Women, a new M&E System for the second-generation NAP was developed, tested and piloted in 2022. MoWA will use it to monitor the NAP implementation progress and achievement of results. Two trainings took place to build the capacity of MoWA's team and members of the higher national committee on 1325 on the new system.
Work in collaboration with national and international actors to take stock of the UN Special Coordinator briefings to the security council, Secretary General (SG) reporting on WPS47, and the CSW48 to voice challenges in fulfilling WPS commitments. UN Women 2021/12 Completed This work will continue beyond the deadline for the Key Action. During the past period, The cooperation between UNSCO and UN Women continued to be strong. Gender content and WPS-related achievements are timely highlighted to the UNSCO team ahead of the Special Coordinator’s briefing to the UN Security Council22 . During the reporting period, six briefings of the Special Coordinator highlighted gender issues (October and November 2020 and January, March, April and July 2021). Notably, the Special Coordinator in his April briefing highlighted the adoption of the NAP, welcoming “the efforts of the Government to translate international frameworks into commitments and actions” and reiterating “UN support for the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine”.
Recommendation: Support national interventions that empower women to participate in the formal security and justice delivery through increasing the percentage of women police officers, judges, prosecutors, etc.
Management Response: UN Women Contiune to work on empower women to participate in the formal security and justice delivery through increasing the percentage of women police officers, judges, prosecutors, etc.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women in Partnership with UNDP and UNICEF will continue to promote women's participation in the security and justice sector through the Sawasya UN Joint Programme. UN Women 2022/06 Completed Work on Access to Justice is ongoing through UN SAWASYA II JP in 2023 and beyond.
Develop a Concept Note focusing on promoting women's participation and leadership in the Security Sector in Palestine. UN Women 2020/06 Completed A Concept Note on prompting women's participation in the Security Sector was developed. The Concept Note was developed through consultation with the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The Concept Note is part of the UN Women PALCO Resource Mobilization Strategy and Action Plan.
Mobilize Resources to implement strategic interventions that promote women's participation in the Security Sector in Palestine. UN Women 2021/03 Completed During 2021, UN Women initiated the discussion with donors in relation to pooled funding for the implementation of the NAP for UN SCR 1325. UN Women will continue to assess the feasibility of establishing a NAP pooled funding mechanism; building on lessons learned from the region (i.e., Jordan) in establishing pooled funding mechanisms and tools.
Recommendation: Continue to work closely with and capacitate the National Coalition on UNSCR 1325 and Wessal Network. UN Women will need to invest more in developing core institutional and organizational competencies of the National Coalition and Wessal Network and its members on policy development and analysis, advocacy, data collection, knowledge management, and results-based management.
Management Response: In partnership with CSO partners in the West Bank and Gaza and in coordination with the higher national committee, tailored capacity development initiatives will be implemented on human rights mechanisms such as the special procedures of the Human Rights Council (i.e. side events, UPR) and the mechanisms of using the Special Rapporteurs to highlight the impact of occupation on Palestinian women’s lives. Partnership between human rights organizations and women’s rights organization will be leveraged to implement international advocacy initiatives targeting the UN Human Rights Council, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)39 and the Security Council (i.e. Arria formula). Advocacy campaigns targeting governmental actors and political parties will be also implemented to demand increased representation of women in reconciliation efforts (reconciliation talks as well as follow-up actions) and decision-making.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Organize two trainings per year for women’s organizations and members of the 1325 Higher National Committee to engage in special procedures of the Human Rights Council (side events, UPR49) also on how to use the Special Rapporteurs the impact of occupation on Palestinian women’s lives. UN Women 2021/12 No Longer Applicable In alignment with the new NAP’s strong focus on international accountability (a standalone pillar), partnership between GUPW as a leading national actor on WPS and WILPF as a leading international actor in peacebuilding and international advocacy was formulated through support from UN Women end of 2020. In 2021, international advocacy initiatives targeting the UN Human Rights Council, the 2021 Annual Open Debate on WPS and the Security Council (i.e., Arria-formula meeting) in 2021 will be implemented. 72 young professionals (18 men and 54 women; 35 in Gaza and 37 in the West Bank) were trained by GUPW in October and November 2020 on the concepts of civil peace, leadership, conflict resolution, mediation, peacebuilding, in preparation for their participation in political parties and high-level dialogue. Palestinian youth were selected as speakers during a side event to the CSW. 4 Palestinian youth participants were selected by UN Women Regional Office for the Gender Innovation Agora (GIA), where they have an advisory and advocacy role to the work of UN Women. 19 young women from Palestine, were selected as part of the Young Women Peacebuilders (YWP), building the next generation of young women as peacebuilders, meditators, negotiators and leaders of sustainable peace.
Support partnership between human rights organizations and women’s rights organizations to develop targeted advocacy initiatives targeting the UN Human Rights Council. UN Women 2021/12 Completed In alignment with the new NAP’s strong focus on international accountability (a standalone pillar), partnership between GUPW as a leading national actor on WPS and WILPF as a leading international actor in peacebuilding and international advocacy was formulated through support from UN Women end of 2020. In 2021, international advocacy initiatives targeting the UN Human Rights Council, the 2021 Annual Open Debate on WPS and the Security Council (i.e., Arria-formula meeting) in 2021 will be implemented. Gender equality advocates, including the General Union for Palestinian Women (GUPW) and the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), continued to implement evidence-based advocacy towards holding the occupation accountable for human rights violations, the increased participation of women in the national decision-making process and recovery efforts, and gender responsive humanitarian action. On 18 February, the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) in partnership with WILPF hosted a webinar entitled: “The WPS Agenda Under Occupation: Gendered Impacts of the Israeli Occupation on Women and Girls”. The event was held ahead of the 46th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC46), taking place between 22 February and 23 March 2021. The event was moderated by WILPF. Participants included the Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk (who delivered a pre-recorded message), Dr Nadera Kevorkian and Doa Nofal (Permanent Mission of Palestine to the UN-Geneva). 293 participants from all over the world attended the event. As a follow-up to the event, GUPW was also able to participate in the HRC’s general debate on Item 7 (Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories) using WILPF’s ECOSOC status. A full report of the event is available here: https://www.wilpf.org/the-wpsagenda-under-occupation/ GUPW held a virtual meeting with the mission of Norway to the UN to raise awareness about the WPS Agenda in Palestine as well as the specific challenges that women under occupation are facing. Further meetings with other Member States are being scheduled. GUPW is supported by WILPF’s to reach out to member states missions at the UN Security Council. This activity is in substitution to the organization of an Arria-formula meeting on Women, Peace and Security in Palestine. The latter could not be held, due to the lack of interested sponsors among the UN Security Council members.
Support CSO actors organize 1 Arria Formula meeting which presents an opportunity to present gender specific information on Palestinian women to the Security Council. UN Women 2021/12 Completed In alignment with the new NAP’s strong focus on international accountability (a standalone pillar), partnership between GUPW as a leading national actor on WPS and WILPF as a leading international actor in peacebuilding and international advocacy was formulated through support from UN Women end of 2020. In 2021, international advocacy initiatives targeting the UN Human Rights Council, the 2021 Annual Open Debate on WPS and the Security Council (i.e., Arria-formula meeting) in 2021 will be implemented. In March 2021, UN Women in partnership with MoWA organized an online side-event to the 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to promote the State of Palestine’s commitments to the WPS agenda and to highlight its importance in protecting women’s rights under occupation. The event served to highlight new contextual developments in Palestine and how they offer opportunities for promoting women’s participation and leadership; present the progress of the WPS Agenda in Palestine, including commitments articulated in the second National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325; and amplify the voices of Palestinian women political leaders and youth activists. Participants included Dr Amal Hamad (Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs), Dr Omar Awadallah (Palestinian MFA), and Ms. Nadia Abu Nahla as a civil society activist. During the event, two young women participated as panellists: Ms Amani Aruri, Member of Global Youth Task Force on Beijing +25, and Ms. Tala Shehadeh, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist. Their presentation focused on Palestinian youth participation in the Generation Equality Campaign and the Global Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action and Priority actions for young Palestinian women leaders respectively. The event was attended by around 150 participants from Palestine and all over the world. On 18 February, the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) in partnership with WILPF hosted a webinar entitled: “The WPS Agenda Under Occupation: Gendered Impacts of the Israeli Occupation on Women and Girls”. The event was held ahead of the 46th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC46), taking place between 22 February and 23 March 2021. The event was moderated by WILPF. Participants included the Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk (who delivered a pre-recorded message), Dr Nadera Kevorkian and Doa Nofal (Permanent Mission of Palestine to the UN-Geneva). 293 participants from all over the world attended the event. As a follow-up to the event, GUPW was also able to participate in the HRC’s general debate on Item 7 (Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories) using WILPF’s ECOSOC status. A full report of the event is available here: https://www.wilpf.org/the-wpsagenda-under-occupation/
Organize 60 consultation and awareness raising workshops (per year) on the UNSCR 1325 with women, men, and youth at grassroots level to voice their needs and priorities to relevant key actors i.e. line ministries and this is to lobby and advocate on decision makers to address those needs through sectoral plans and governmental interventions. Discussions will take place with networks at grassroots level in the Jordan valley to include them in this effort. UN Women Partner CSOs 2021/12 Completed A total of 12 workshops (8 eight in Gaza and 4 four in Ramallah) were organized by the General Union for Palestinian Women (GUPW) were 262 (212 women and 50 men) in Gaza and 62 in the West Bank (58 women four4 men) were sensitized on UNSCR 1325. The participants, including members of the municipal council of Ramallah, persons with disabilities, marginalized women at grassroots level, participated in a series of awareness raising workshops organized by GUPW in July and August. The GUPW organized and implemented 70 awareness-raising workshops in different locations as follows: eight workshops in Nablus, five in Bethlehem, three in Hebron, 12 in Jenin, two in Jericho, three in Qalqilya, two in Salfeet, 20 in Gaza, six in Tubas, three in Jerusalem, and six in Tulkram. In total, the GUPW reached 1,506 persons at the grassroots level (142 men and 1,364 women). The workshops tackled the issue of women’s political and civic participation in Palestine to promote key demands and advocacy towards decision-makers.Thanks to the workshops, awareness was spread on the UNSCR 1325 among people at the grassroots level, including in locations where people were not aware of the resolution or could be even perceive it as a threat, such as Hebron. Participants in the workshop reported increased knowledge and eagerness to apply the skills they gained.
Organize two open days (one annually) on UNSCR 1325 to encourage actionable dialogue between UN leadership and national actors/leaders. The open days will also include the engagement of media actors UN Women 2021/12 Completed An open day discussion was organized to amplify Palestinian women’s voices on WPS opportunities and challenges with the participation of more than 150 decision makers and peacebuilders (120 women and 30 men). The event was organized on 9 July 2020. In partnership with the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), and with support from the Government of Norway, UN Women Palestine held its annual Open Day on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in the period 20-21 October 2021 to celebrate the 21st anniversary of UN Security Resolution 1325 and reiterate calls to promote Palestinian women’s role in peace and security. The event served as a platform for Palestinian women, gender equality advocates and the international community to reflect on the implementation of UN Security Resolution 1325 in Palestine, 21 years after its adoption. This year, the Open Day took place in Gaza City, in solidarity with women impacted by the escalation of May 2021 and to ensure that voices from Palestinian women in Gaza are not left unheard. The event brought together women, including young women, from all over Palestine, representing different perspectives and coming from all sorts of backgrounds. It was a rare opportunity for Palestinian women from the West Bank and Gaza to be in the same room, talk to each other, recognize their differences but fortify what brings them together as Palestinian women. The event also saw a significant participation from Palestinian youth, who shed light on their vision, role and the challenges they encounter as gender equality advocates. “Analysis of peace processes around the world shows that inclusion of women increases the chance of an agreement. We remain committed to supporting efforts to fully tap into the peacebuilding potential of Palestinian women and youth”, said Ms. Lynn Hastings, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory. “Only by breaking the cycle of violence and restarting an inclusive peace process with fair and equal representation of women at the negotiating table can a long-lasting solution for Israeli-Palestinian conflict be achieved.” Over the two days, the participants highlighted the important role that Palestinian women can play for national reconciliation, took stock of the challenges to effectively implement the WPS agenda in Palestine, and formulated recommendations to strengthen women’s role in reconciliation and peacebuilding, including for the establishment of a platform where Palestinian women leaders, holding diverse political views and across generations, can convene and strategize on how to increase women’s participation in the Palestinian reconciliation process. Participants also agreed on the importance of holding democratic and free elections as soon as possible, with at least 30 per cent quota reserved for women’s representation. The importance of documenting the gendered impact of occupation on Palestinian women and girls and of holding the occupation accountable for women’s human rights violations were furthermore highlighted. Female and male youth peacebuilders recommended stronger inclusion of youth in gender responsive peacebuilding and recovery efforts and systematic engagement with feminist organizations in pushing a gender equality agenda. “Advancing the peace and security agenda in Palestine is challenging: no peace process, decades of occupation, discrimination, political and geographical fragmentation. In this context, Palestinian women are an untapped potential for conflict prevention and durable peace”, stated Ms. Torunn Viste, Representative of Norway to the PA. “Norway is honoured to support the high-level dialogue on Women, Peace & Security in Gaza. Women’s rights are human rights. Human rights are universal, not bound by culture, religion, geographical or political affiliation.” The State of Palestine’s commitments to further the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through the adoption of a new National Action Plan (NAP) on WPS were also recognized. In 2016, Palestine was the second Arab state to adopt a NAP, recognizing the disproportionate impact of conflict and occupation on Palestinian women and girls and their vital participation in all aspects of peacebuilding. Palestine adopted its second NAP (2020-2024) for the implementation of Resolution 1325 in October 2020. The National coalition on UNSCR 1325 led by the GUPW had also launched its 2021-2024 second generation strategic lobbying and advocacy plan by the end of 2020. “We are committed to supporting the steadfastness of our people, particularly Palestinian women who continue to suffer because of occupation. UN Security Council Resolution 1325 is a very important framework to promote women’s protection from occupation violence”, said Ms. Intissar Al Wazir, Director of GUPW, commenting on the importance of the implementation of WPS commitments as articulated in national plans. “Women’s participation and leadership have been glaringly absent in both peace efforts between Palestine and Israel and those aiming to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation, rendering the success of both endeavours more elusive,” said Ms. Maryse Guimond, UN Women Special Representative for Palestine. “Women are half of the population of the State of Palestine, and we must protect their fundamental right to take part in decision-making that affects them, their families and the future of their country. Their participation in peace and reconciliation processes brings outstanding advantages that unfortunately often remain overlooked.”
Support the organization of two seminars on UNSCR 1325, including on its links with CEDAW within the Palestinian context. This will be also utilized to shed light on other important frameworks such as the SDGs and Beijing platform of action. UN Women Partner CSOs 2021/12 Completed On the Occasion of the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in partnership with UN Women in Palestine organized a high-level conference on “Enhancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine Through the Second National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325”. The conference was organized on Wednesday, 28 October at 11:30. The conference presented The State of Palestine’s approach towards women's issues and gender equality in Palestine and the promotion of the values of justice and equality; Norway’s role in advancing the women, peace and security agenda globally and in Palestine; The role of the UNSCR 1325 Civil Society Coalition in implementing UNSCR 1325; The Role of the League of Arab States (LAS) in developing and supporting UNSCR 1325 regional action plan; Jordan's experience in implementing UNSCR 1325 national action plan and in leveraging pooled financing mechanism to support its implementation; Egypt's experience in developing the first UNSCR 1325 national action plan; and Iraq's experience in developing the second-generation UNSCR 1325 NAP and drafting the first completed national report. In November 2020, the GUPW held a seminar on the synergy between the UNSCR 1325 and CEDAW, entitled “The unity of the international mechanisms in advancing the security, peace, and equality agenda: the interdependence of UNSCR 1325 and CEDAW”. The event was held in hybrid mode, with a live audience in Ramallah from all over Palestine (100 participants). The audience included members of the UNSCR 1325 coalition, members of CEDAW coalition, activists from many locations and countries. Speakers included Dr Amal Hamad (Minister of Women’s Affairs), Salma Al-Nims (Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women) and leading figures from GUPW.
Recommendation: Recommendation 5: Advocate for integration of the UNSCR 1325 NAP proposed interventions into regular programme of line ministries members of the Higher National Committee for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325.
Management Response: UN Women will support the Ministry of Women's Affairs in developing the 2nd generation NAP through a consultative process under the leadership of the Higher National Committee on UNSCR 1325 which is comprised of main Line Ministries. This process will ensure ownership. Throughout the process, UN Women and MoWA will advocate for the alignment of the NAP with sectoral strategies and ministerial Action Plans.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Efficiency, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Desk review for documents, researches, studies on the Palestinian experience of the development and implementation of UNSCR 1325 Ministry of Women's Affairs 2020/12 Completed The desk review was conducted in 2020 and was the basis for developing the second generation NAP.
Carry consultation workshops in the WB and Gaza Strip and Jerusalem related to the NAP development Ministry of Women's Affairs 2020/12 Completed MoWA launched the process for developing the 2nd-generation NAP on WPS (2020-2023), as the most important accountability framework to further WPS commitments, in March 2020. The process included thorough discussions with members of the HNC and members of the NC; non-members of the HNC, including the Ministries of Education, Environment and Agriculture, were also involved in the consultation process. More than 15 consultation workshops and 10 bilateral consultations took place in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza with the participation of around 60 civil society, governmental and non-governmental WPS actors and experts. MoWA had also ensured the inclusion of actors from the diaspora. Some of the key civil society actors that participated and informed the NAP development process such as GUPW and Al Muntada are chairs/leaders of civil society coalitions/network which have 30-40 members each. Thus, their perspectives and insights are representative of their members. In the West Bank, three sub-committees were formed to follow up on the development of the NAP under each of the three identified strategic priorities (prevention/protection, accountability, and participation). Recommendations were finalized by each sub-committee after four meetings. In the Gaza Strip, and during July 2020, MoWA held a high-profile workshop on the NAP which was attended by more than 30 representatives from civil society and women’s organizations. During the workshop, the first draft of the NAP was presented and discussed, and priorities related to women affected by conflict in Gaza were highlighted. Additionally, human rights experts and women’s rights organizations presented their recommendations for NAP revisions during 3 subsequent meetings. It is anticipated that further review, including by external independent consultants, INGOs and CSOs in both Gaza and the West Bank, will take place ahead of the final adoption. A final review of the NAP ahead of publication will be undertaken by a WPS consultant/expert.
Organize six advocacy and awareness raising campaigns (during 2 years; 3 in Gaza and 3 in the West Bank) to support the 1325 Higher National Committee and 1325 Coalition promote the implementation of the NAP at all levels and in all relevant sectors. The campaigns will target decision makers from the government. Minitsry of Women's Affairs 2021/12 Completed Gender equality advocates, including the General Union for Palestinian Women (GUPW) and the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), continued to implement evidence-based advocacy towards holding the occupation accountable for human rights violations, the increased participation of women in the national decision-making process and recovery efforts, and gender responsive humanitarian action. On 18 February, the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) in partnership with WILPF hosted a webinar entitled: “The WPS Agenda Under Occupation: Gendered Impacts of the Israeli Occupation on Women and Girls”. The event was held ahead of the 46th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC46), taking place between 22 February and 23 March 2021. The event was moderated by WILPF. Participants included the Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk (who delivered a pre-recorded message), Dr Nadera Kevorkian and Doa Nofal (Permanent Mission of Palestine to the UN-Geneva). 293 participants from all over the world attended the event. As a follow-up to the event, GUPW was also able to participate in the HRC’s general debate on Item 7 (Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories) using WILPF’s ECOSOC status. A full report of the event is available here: https://www.wilpf.org/the-wpsagenda-under-occupation/ GUPW held a virtual meeting with the mission of Norway to the UN to raise awareness about the WPS Agenda in Palestine as well as the specific challenges that women under occupation are facing. Further meetings with other Member States are being scheduled. GUPW is supported by WILPF’s to reach out to member states missions at the UN Security Council. This activity is in substitution to the organization of an Arria-formula meeting on Women, Peace and Security in Palestine. The latter could not be held, due to the lack of interested sponsors among the UN Security Council members. At the national level, GUPW targeted governmental actors and political parties in an advocacy campaign to demand increased representation of women in reconciliation efforts (reconciliation talks as well as follow-up actions) as well as in the originally planned national elections. The campaign was implemented in cooperation with two national media agencies (Wattan and Ma’an). The following are links to some of the campaign materials developed: - three animation spots, which were advertised on Ma’an TV and Facebook page, to raise awareness about the importance of women participating in the originally scheduled elections. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1173216693136906 o a video spot that introduces Resolution UNSCR 1325 and its four main pillars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OZMTlA70bc. 17 “Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine” (Programme ID 118953): Second Interim Narrative Report to the Government of Norway, 1 September 2020 – 31 August 2021 o a video spot that highlights the importance of women’s participation to the Palestinian political sphere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3z__G9BhKA o Facebook posts: https://www.facebook.com/gupw.palestine/photos/1588556494661393; https://www.facebook.com/gupw.palestine/photos/1592442267606149; https://www. facebook.com/gupw.palestine/photos/1619557714894604 In the aftermath of the escalation in Gaza in May 2021, GUPW developed a short documentary on the stories of women who lost their lives during the escalation. The video was realized in cooperation with the Gazan producer Ryad Shaheen, and it was split into smaller videos that were published on GUPW’s Facebook page. One video is available here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=593909418431763&extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0TGK1C&ref=sharing The Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) launched an advocacy campaign in November 2020 to underpin the WPS commitments in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A roundtable discussion was organized in December 2020 to highlight WPS priorities and responses in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. 24 participants members of civil society organizations joined the meeting either in person or via Zoom. Another roundtable discussion revolved around common themes and messages on the occasion of the annual 16 Days Campaign against GBV. 17 participants joined the meeting. Between December 2020 and February 2021, WCLAC carried out five virtual training sessions with 30 participants (six men and 24 women), in coordination with the Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PYALARA) to identify joint priorities related to COVID-19 response. As a follow-up, in March 2021, WCLAC held four accountability sessions to report the findings of these sessions directly to different decision-makers. 53 people (42 women and 11 men) participated in the sessions. The first session addressed the Ministry of Labour’s gender unit regarding support to women economically affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The second session addressed the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development regarding the right of women with disabilities during the pandemic. The third session addressed the inistry of Social Development and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs regarding protection and increase of GBV during the pandemic. The fourth session addressed the Ministry of Local Governance and discussed women’s participation in decision-making processes during the pandemic. In April-May 2021, WCLAC and PYALARA produced and published six feature stories involving three grassroots women leaders and their participation in COVID-19 national response and promoting WPS in local communities. The selected women were from Hebron, Jerusalem (Bir Nabala) and the Gaza Strip. - In Hebron, Asmahan Awawda established a Women’s Center during the pandemic for women in needs during the pandemic. Her story Young women participating in a GUPW organized training. 2 “Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine” (Programme ID 118953): Second Interim Narrative Report to the Government of Norway, 1 September 2020 – 31 August 2021 is available at: https://facebook.com/watch/?v=465418321404580 - In Jerusalem, Nusrat al-Qilani, an active leader in her community, launched an initiative to distribute food parcels to families and women-led households in need. Her story is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfAmPaa0VPs - In Gaza, Linda Abu Mersa started a WhatsApp group to support women’s psychological needs during the pandemic. Her story is available at: https://facebook.com/PYALARA/videos/293175485753052 The feature stories were disseminated through video spots that gathered, in total, more than 200,000 views, 203 comments and 1,184 likes on the social media platforms.
Recommendation: Invest in a reliable and effective Monitoring and Evaluation System.
Management Response: Efforts will be invested to support the development of a well-established NAP monitoring and evaluation system hosted at MoWA, in alignment with international standards. Based on consultations with MOWA as the lead of the Higher National Committee, tailored capacity building on the M&E system, reporting on NAP implementation and high-level advocacy will be provided. MoWA will also lead on the development of an observatory on women’s human rights violations in the framework of UNSCR 1325 and on the organization of a high- level international conference to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1325 resolution.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Sustainability, Impact, Human Rights, Relevance, Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Design curricula on monitoring and reporting according to international standards Ministry of Women's Affairs 2021/12 No Longer Applicable The activity has been changed.
Organize 4 training courses for 1325 higher national committee members and WPS actors on the new NAP M and E Ministry of Women's Affairs 2021/12 Completed With support from UN Women, 4 training courses were organized for the 1325 higher national committee members and WPS actors on the new NAP M and E system.
Desk review for existing tools and analytical reports related to the Monitoring and Evaluation System Ministry of Women's Affairs 2021/12 Completed The consultant working on the M&E System is on board and works directly with the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The Ministry recruited the consultant and experienced delays launching this component of work. While the action remain applicable and relevant, delays are experienced.
Develop an online system to be hosted at MoWA data room hub Ministry of Women's Affairs (MoWA) 2021/12 Completed The NAP M&E System is fully automated and managed by MoWA.
Recommendation: Continue to disseminate knowledge products developed through the project support (A Study on the Situation of Displaced Women Living in Caravans in Gaza; A Factsheet on the Situation of Displaced Women Living in Caravans in Gaza; Film: A Study on the Situation of Displaced Women Living in Caravans in Gaza; Factsheet Paper on Women’s Political Participation; Not Ended Yet: A collection of stories that monitor and document some of the Israeli occupation violations to which Palestinian women and girls are subjected to in Gaza Strip; Film: Women Behind Fences) to national and international stakeholders using multi channels.
Management Response: Knowledge Products produced through BUPW and CFTA and other KP related to the WPS Agenda will contiune to be dissinated to stakeholders as part of the advocacy and lobbying efforts by civil society.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
The General Union for Palestinian Women and the Culture and Free Thought Association will implement the Knowledge Product Dissemination Plan The General Union for Palestinian Women and the Culture and Free Thought Association 2021/12 Completed
Recommendation: Give more priority to advocacy related to women’s participation in the decision-making process and their representation in peace negotiations and reconciliation efforts.
Management Response: UN Women will work to build the capacity of young women cadres/leaders (including those who have active participation in students’ unions and municipal councils) on the concepts of civil peace, leadership, and conflict resolution, mediation, peacebuilding, gender in peace processes, communications and advocacy, crisis management etc. and support the participation of those young leaders in political parties and peace and security dialogues. UN Women will support women and their represnatatives through engaging them through policy analysis and development, holding policy dialogues and reviewing the NAP in Palestine, which shall further contribute to creating an enabling environment for women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership and decision making in the political and public life.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Implement two advocacy campaigns per year targeting governmental actors and political parties to demand increased representation of women in reconciliation efforts (reconciliation talks as well as follow up actions). UN Women Partner CSOs 2021/12 Completed At the national level, GUPW targeted governmental actors and political parties in an advocacy campaign to demand increased representation of women in reconciliation efforts (reconciliation talks as well as follow-up actions) as well as in the originally planned national elections. The campaign was implemented in cooperation with two national media agencies (Wattan and Ma’an). The following are links to some of the campaign materials developed: - three animation spots, which were advertised on Ma’an TV and Facebook page, to raise awareness about the importance of women participating in the originally scheduled elections. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1173216693136906 o a video spot that introduces Resolution UNSCR 1325 and its four main pillars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OZMTlA70bc. a video spot that highlights the importance of women’s participation to the Palestinian political sphere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3z__G9BhKA o Facebook posts: https://www.facebook.com/gupw.palestine/photos/1588556494661393; https://www.facebook.com/gupw.palestine/photos/1592442267606149; https://www. facebook.com/gupw.palestine/photos/1619557714894604 he Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) launched an advocacy campaign in November 2020 to underpin the WPS commitments in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A roundtable discussion was organized in December 2020 to highlight WPS priorities and responses in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. 24 participants members of civil society organizations joined the meeting either in person or via Zoom. Another roundtable discussion revolved around common themes and messages on the occasion of the annual 16 Days Campaign against GBV. 17 participants joined the meeting. Between December 2020 and February 2021, WCLAC carried out five virtual training sessions with 30 participants (six men and 24 women), in coordination with the Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PYALARA) to identify joint priorities related to COVID-19 response. As a follow-up, in March 2021, WCLAC held four accountability sessions to report the findings of these sessions directly to different decision-makers. 53 people (42 women and 11 men) participated in the sessions. The first session addressed the Ministry of Labour’s gender unit regarding support to women economically affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The second session addressed the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development regarding the right of women with disabilities during the pandemic. The third session addressed the inistry of Social Development and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs regarding protection and increase of GBV during the pandemic. The fourth session addressed the Ministry of Local Governance and discussed women’s participation in decision-making processes during the pandemic.
Organize two training courses to build the capacity of young women cadres/leaders (especially those who have an active political role in municipal council or students’ unions) on the concepts of civil peace, leadership, conflict resolution, mediation, peacebuilding, Gender in peace processes, Communications and Advocacy, Crisis Management etc. and support the participation of those young leaders in political parties and peace and security dialogues. UN Women Partners CSO 2021/12 Completed To further develop the capacities of gender advocates, and in particular young women and men, several capacity development initiatives were implemented with the support of the project. 37 young cadres/leaders (29 women and eight men) from the West bank and 35 young cadres/leaders (25 women and 10 men) from the Gaza Strip developed their knowledge on contractual and non-contractual mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, UNSCR 1325 and Women, Peace and Security, Leadership, conflict resolution tools, Negotiations, Dialogues and Mediation; Gender and Advocacy. The training aimed at supporting the participation of those young leaders in political parties and peace and security dialogues through the development of their knowledge on the WPS agenda. Participants are now able to participate and understand basic human rights mechanisms and processes, are able to document human rights violations, write shadow reports and inform the special rapporteurs. A total of 96 training hours were implemented by GUPW (66 training hours in Gaza and 30 training hours in the Gaza Strip). Another 23 young women and men were capacity through the direct work of UN Women Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) as follows: - The Young Women Peacebuilders Programme: 19 young Palestinian women developed their knowledge on the UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security and UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace & Security; as well as subsequent resolutions, conflict theories and analysis, including how to conduct gender-sensitive conflict analysis, conflict resolution methods, peace processes, formal and informal tracks, mediation processes, skills, values, and phases and local disputes settlement. The women are part of a 77-strong Arab women group from 13 different countries who participated in the Young Women Peacebuilders Programme launched by UN Women ROAS in June 2021. The 60 hours training programme was implemented between June and July 2021. The experience of Fawzya Alshami, a journalist from Gaza and one of the participants in the programme, was documented by the UN Women Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS). Her experience is available at: http://unwo.men/aCjQ30rPDj5 - The Gender Innovation Agora (GIA): Two young Palestinian women and two young Palestinian men were selected to participate in the Gender Innovation Agora established by UN Women ROAS in December 2020 as a consultative forum for regular dialogue with young women and men in the Arab Region. Out of 800 applications, 47 young leaders from 13 Arab States were selected, including the four Palestinians. Members of the GIA will inform UN Women providing expertise, advocating and advising on youth and gender issues, inform innovative solutions and campaigns, encourage the mobilization of young people and facilitate the dissemination of information to networks and organizations around the region. Finally, and to amplify youth’s voices on the importance of their participation in elections, UN Women developed four stories representing the views of two young women (one from Gaza and one from the West Bank) and two young men (one from Gaza and one from the West Bank). Right before publishing the stories, the elections were cancelled.
Recommendation: CFTA and GUPW are recommended to find innovative ways to engage communities in promoting the implementation of UNSCR 1325.
Management Response: UN Women will support national partners to organize consultation and awareness raising workshops on the 1325 resolution with women, men and youth at grassroots level to voice their needs and priorities to relevant key actors i.e. line ministries and this is to lobby and advocate on decision makers (both men and women) to address those needs through sectoral plans and governmental interventions. Discussions will take place with networks at grassroots level to include them in this effort. This will ensure that a bottom-up approach that supports community and women’s resilience inform policy formulation.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Organize 60 consultation and awareness raising workshops (per year) on the UNSCR 1325 with women, men, and youth at grassroots level to voice their needs and priorities to relevant key actors i.e. line ministries and this is to lobby and advocate on decision makers to address those needs through sectoral plans and governmental interventions. Discussions will take place with networks at grassroots level in the Jordan valley to include them in this effort. GUPW and UN Wmen 2021/12 Completed GUPW organized and implemented 70 awareness-raising workshops in different locations as follows: eight workshops in Nablus, five in Bethlehem, three in Hebron, 12 in Jenin, two in Jericho, three in Qalqilya, two in Salfeet, 20 in Gaza, six in Tubas, three in Jerusalem, and six in Tulkram. In total, the GUPW reached 1,506 persons at the grassroots level (142 men and 1,364 women). The workshops tackled the issue of women’s political and civic participation in Palestine to promote key demands and advocacy towards decision-makers.Thanks to the workshops, awareness was spread on the UNSCR 1325 among people at the grassroots level, including in locations where people were not aware of the resolution or could be even perceive it as a threat, such as Hebron. Participants in the workshop reported increased knowledge and eagerness to apply the skills they gained.