51 percent of women in the Gaza Strip are UNEMPLOYED

Palestinian women have one of the lowest rates of labor force participation in the world, despite higher primary and secondary enrolment ratios compared to males in the entire Middle East and North Africa. The unemployment rate among women participating in the labor force was 75% compared to 44% for men.

25 year-old Hadeel Sourani and other women are often deprived of having access to work not only because of lack of job opportunities, the social norms and lack of safety and discrimination but also because of the Israeli siege that hinder their access to work. The unemployment rate in the besieged Gaza Strip has doubled since Israel imposed a land, sea and air blockade 11 years ago.

 

The closure on Gaza affects women from different professional fields: consultancy, banking, civil society organizations, education, and entrepreneurship. Many women in Gaza have succeeded to overcome social obstacles and limitations but is still faced with the severe Israeli restrictions on movement in and out of Gaza. These restrictions affect both their personal and professional advancement and the possibility of having access to job opportunities or contributing to the development of Gaza’s economy.

The unemployment rate among women who finished the 13th grade and above reached 54 percent and the poverty rates among individuals in households headed by women in the Gaza Strip was 54%, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau Statistics (PCBS).

Hadeel said, “I finished my undergraduate studies in Basic Education in 2014. I spent several years looking for a job opportunity and submitted my degrees and documents to schools and education centers, but all of them rejected me. I passed through difficult times of pain, despair, and frustration.”

Disabled women are vulnerable. They often lose access to job opportunities because of their disability. Women with hearing and speech disabilities are more affected by resource-denial, and dehumanization by their families and communities. In addition, women with hearing and speech disabilities still face denial of their rights and social representation as human beings. The unemployment rate among persons with disabilities rose from 41,2 in 2007 to 53.7 percent in 2017. Most of them are women.

Moreover, for those above-mentioned reasons, The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor as a human rights organization in the Gaza Strip encourages and supports women to have access to their economic rights by finding alternative solutions such as outsourcing as the only way to access global markets. 

HOW WE CAN SUPPORT WOMEN COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY?

Because people cannot move outside the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli siege, freelancing and online jobs become the best temporary solutions to the unemployment crisis in Gaza. 

Asma Qandil, 25, a 2016 graduate of English from Al-Aqsa University, participated in the “How to Use Online Freelancing Platforms” initiative implemented by the Association of University Graduates in the Gaza Strip, supported by Euro-Med Monitor’s Women's Leadership Incubator Project in 2018.

“After graduating from the university, I worked in several places, but I could not continue due to the difficult circumstances, such as the long working hours coupled with the inadequate salary, as well as the extra effort and the endless requirements. So, I worked for 3 to 6 months only,” said Qandil.

In spite of all of successful initiatives and projects, have been implemented for empowering women by Euro-Med Monitor and other organizations in the Gaza Strip, there is still a tremendous need for more efforts and continues programs that support the culture of freelancing and enable women to reach global markets.

74 percent of women in the Gaza Strip are still unemployed and unable to reach the global labor market because they do not have the keys to enter the labor market and because they lack the necessary skills to adapt to a changing and highly competitive labor market.

After the success Euro-Med has achieved in 2017 and 2018, we decided to launch a new initiative targeting and serving new 100 women and girls including women with hearing and speech disability.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor is planning to target 50 fresh graduates and 50 women with hearing and speech disabilities to join a new freelancing initiative to improve their technical skills. The six-month initiative will include an intensive and specialized course in article-writing, text and photo editing, blog writing, graphic designing, and social media marketing.

We will also provide a basic course of outsourcing, which is badly needed for women in Gaza. Based on this initiative, women will be able to surf the internet continuously, working with different webmaster tools and techniques, and developing verbal and written English fluently through massive international communication. Moreover, Euro-Med Monitor will organize

an internet literacy program for women with hearing disability

and carry out a training using sign language for women.

THE TEAM BEHIND THE PROJECT IN GAZA

We are four members, three young women and one young man working together at Euro-Mediterranean for Human Rights Monitor in the Gaza Strip. We designed this campaign because we believe in women and their abilities and we want to help them find their way towards a better future and work.

Maha Hussaini is a Palestinian human rights activist from Gaza. She holds a Master's degree in Political Science. She has worked on several projects supporting youth and women in the Palestinian territory. She is eager to start this project and help more marginalized women find their way through all the challenges they face in the Gaza Strip. 

Areej Al Saqa is Financial and administrative officer in the Euro-Med Monitor for Human rights. She believes that women have the power and the ability to make a difference.

Nada Nabil is Media and PR coordinator at Euro-Med. She has a BA degree in English-French Literature and High Translation Diploma. She has a passion for working in human rights fields especially that concern women believing that women who have survived social and cultural obstacles can help other women in the best ways.

Anas Al Jerjawi is Executive manager of Euro-Mediterranean for Human Rights Monitor in the Opt. He works to advocate for Palestinian human rights with the Euro-Med Monitor.

ABOUT EURO - MEDITERRANEAN HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor is a youth-led independent, nonprofit organization that advocates for the human rights of all persons across Europe and the MENA region, particularly those who live under occupation, in the throes of war or political unrest and/ or have been displaced due to persecution or armed conflict. Euro-Med Monitor was established in November 2011 and is registered in Switzerland (CH-660.0.748.015-1). 

FOUR WAYS TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR POSITIVE CHANGE:

1. Donate and share our Launchgood Campaign

• Make a one-time donation.

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4. If you cannot donate! You can provide women with laptops or projector to be able to find job opportunities.