A place for good discussions

A forum for political dialogue and networking: that is how a new discussion forum for Palestinian women’s organizations is being described.

– Our Palestinian partner organizations have for some time now expressed an interest to learn more from each other, rather than to go to courses or participate in seminars that are led by others, including international donors. Out of this came the idea to organize open forums for discussion, where the agenda is developed by the organizations themselves, says Linda Öhman, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation’s representative in Jerusalem.

The first meeting was held in Ramallah on the West Bank in May, under the guidance of Naila Ayesh from the Women’s Affairs Centre in Gaza. The suggested discussion topic, the consequences of how Israeli military orders control and restrict freedom of movement in the occupied territories, came from Naila herself. A lawyer from the human rights organization Al-Haq was invited to speak.

Rasha MukbilOne of the twenty participants was Rasha Mukbil from the organization Stars of Hope, a women’s rights organization working specifically for the rights of women with disabilities.  

– The discussion group has many advantages. It brings together women’s groups that work in different areas and strengthens our identity as women’s organizations. For us, who work for women with disabilities, it gives us an opportunity to show others that first of all we are women, and also women with disabilities.

Rasha Mukbil hopes that the discussion forum will not come to rest only in words but also lead to concrete actions on the topics that are addressed.

The next meeting, which will be arranged at the beginning of July, will deal with how the Israeli government uses human rights law to justify its actions in the conflict and how women’s organizations must improve their own knowledge of human rights in order to counteract the government’s statements.

The idea came from the Palestinian Working Women Society for Development in Ramallah, who will host the meeting and lead the discussion. The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation’s role is to organize the meeting. 

– I think and I hope that the discussion forums can give our partner organizations the political platform that many say is missing today and become a space to connect gender analysis and a women’s rights perspective to discussions on the occupation. Simply put, an open meeting for expressing oneself, says Linda Öhman.

Do you want to read more about the criticism against the Israeli military orders that were discussed at the forum in May? Follow this link to the organization Al-Haq’s legal opinion. 

Anna Lithander