| Country: |
Palestine |
|
Organization: |
Young Women’s Christian Association of Palestine (YWCA). |
| Address: |
YWCA of Palestine
P. O. Box 20044
Palestine. |
| Tel: |
(972-2) 628 2593 |
| Fax: |
(972-2)628 4654 |
| E-mail: |
ywca@ywca-palestine.org |
| Coverage: |
National association, uniting 250 members, with three branches namely in: Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jericho and two more centers at the refugee camps of Aqabet Jaber and Jalazone. |
| Objectives: |
1. Reducing gender disparity by increasing the access of women and girls to socio-economic opportunities through training, educational and cultural activities;
2. Advocating women’s rights and their integration in national policies and legislation;
3. Expanding women and young women’s opportunities for skills development and employability, by offering a range of vocational training programs and income generation activities;
4. Ensuring the development and active participation of a new generation of young female leaders with the YWCA of Palestine. |
| Intervention Sectors: |
Education: Vocational training; non formal education.
Employment: Income generating projects.
Health: Family planning; nutrition education; sexual and reproductive health; prenatal health.
Social Integration: Participation & rights of vulnerable young women; employment opportunities.
Disabled Young Women: Rights and participation.
Young Women’s Rights: Equal opportunities; gender based violence.
Capacity Building: Leadership development.
Political Leadership: Good governance; good citizenship.
Approach: Raising awareness; advocacy; training. |
| Leadership: |
Percentage of young women’s membership: 10%
Young women’s participation at decision-making levels:
As board members--> 15%
As committee members--> 7%
As partners in program planning and decision-making--> 7%
As participants and volunteers--> 7% |
| Networking: |
Partners at the following:
1. At the national level:
- YMCA§ Panorama;
- Tamer Institute;
- Pyalara.
2.At the regional level:
- YWCA of Jordan;
- Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
3. At the international level:
- European YWCAs. |
| Involvement: |
Involvement in designing, implementing and evaluating national youth policies:
Member of a number of national committees working on youth and young women’s issues.
|
| Guidelines/ Participation: |
Young women’s participation:
1. As participants and trainees;
2. As partners in policy making.
Existing policies and guidelines to ensure young women’s participation:
1. Proportional representation / use of quota system : 20 %;
2. Leadership Training Programs;
3. Guidelines and policies to insure young women’s integration into boards and committees;
4. Access to information, including rights and responsibilities;
Enabling environment.
Member of an international platform: The World Young Women’s Christian Association (World YWCA).
|
| Project: |
Women Training Project. |
| Objectives: |
Improving the status of refugee women and girls through vocational programs, income generating activities, and leadership training opportunities. |
| Brief: |
The project targets young women from the refugee camps where the YWCA operates. Participants are trained in the production of traditional crafts and products, which are marketed locally and internationally. Awareness workshops are organized on weekly basis to provide participants with opportunities for learning and growth. |
| Duration: |
Ongoing |
| Location: |
The refugee camps of Jalazone and Aquabet Jaber. |
| Target Group: |
Young women from the refugee camps, aged 15-18, who are mostly school drop-outs. |
| Challenges: |
1. Keeping young women proud and interested in preserving traditional products;
2. Marketing the products, which is currently very difficult in view of the political situation that destroyed the tourism business. |
| Funding: |
Through the sales of the products, but additional funding is needed. |
| Future Plans: |
1. Introducing new vocations and developing training projects in a variety of locations;
2. Formulating a new marketing strategy that targets primarily the international level. |
| Project 2: |
Vocational Training Program. |
| Objectives: |
1. Empowering women and girls to become economically independent through vocational skills training;
2. Providing women and girls with opportunities to participate in the development and progress of their communities;
3. Strengthening the position of women and girls in the family and society by reinforcing their economic roles. |
| Brief: |
Within the Palestinian context, available data show a clear discrimination against women and girls in terms of employment and opportunities for training and economic development. The YWCA vocational training center in Jerusalem offers one-year training programs in the areas of: office management & secretarial duties, primary health care, catering, cooking and pastry making. Each training program includes a theoretical and a practical component. |
| Duration: |
Ongoing |
| Location: |
Jerusalem |
| Target Group: |
1. Young women who are disadvantaged at higher academic levels;
2. School drop-outs and teenagers with limited prospects for self-fulfillment. |
| Challenges: |
1. Maintaining a good scholarship program to enable young women from low-income families to benefit from the training;
2. The fees make-up 30% of total running costs, hence the need to ensure funds from other sources;
3. The disruption imposed on all educational institutions due the political situation and the strict closure imposed on the Palestinian areas. |
| Funding: |
1. Tuition fees;
2. ICCO;
3. Bread for the World. |
| Results: |
80% of graduates find suitable employment. |
| Future Plans: |
1. Developing the existing curriculum to meet growing and evolving needs within the Palestinian community;
2. Providing capacity building and training programs for staff members;
3. Offering more specialized short term courses to those interested in upgrading their skills. |
