Promoting Women’s Equal Access to Economic Opportunities and Decent Work in Palestine

Palestinian women’s limited access to decent work opportunities is a manifestation of the discrimination they face in labour markets. Research has also shown that deficiencies in skills training of educated and uneducated women hinder their access to decent jobs; where there is a mismatch between the skills needed and labour market requirements. Palestinian women continue to experience higher rates of unemployment than men at the national level. This gap widens with the absence of effective law reinforcement mechanisms by the government particularly through inspection of workplace conditions, policies against violence and sexual harassments in the work place and having in place mechanisms for holding employers accountable towards ensuring safe and decent working conditions for women in all economic sectors. To address these issues this project aims a) to strengthen capacities of young women (employed and self-employed) in West Bank and Gaza Strip, especially the most excluded and marginalized, through equipping them with market oriented skills and confidence to enhance their livelihood potential and access to decent jobs. b) to create enabling enviornment for more gender responsive labour laws, policies and practices. It also aims to support national efforts and effective policy dialogue amongst the governmental, private, and non-governmental bodies to mainstream gender equality in West Bank and Gaza Strip, including unions, to promote gender responsive policies related to the world of work.

Project symbol

PSE/19/02/UNW

Admin unit

RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut

Start date

29/05/2019

End date

12/03/2021

Total allocation

206371

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

206917

Development Partners

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Country/Countries

State of Palestine

Outcomes

Outcome 6: Gender equality and equal opportunities and treatment for all in the world of work