Youth Debate on Gender Equality with Radio Nisaa FM and UNESCO

On International Women's Day on the eighth of March Nisaa FM and UNESCO hosted a debate on gender equality in the Movenpick Hotel in Ramallah. Five students were invited to the panel to start the discussion led by Nisaa FM presenter Israa Obrabi. The themes discussed were gender equality, discrimination in the workplace and in academic disciplines and the need of women in senior positions.

The audience was lively and engaged and many contributed with their view on gender equality. A college student Alaa al-Khatib stated the importance of giving girls the right to choose undergraduate majors as males, especially those disciplines required to be able to travel abroad, so the girls will have the same opportunities in education.

Yara Daiq, project coordinater for UNESCO Youth Networks noted the importance of local and international cooperation and joint hands to achieve equality between males and females, in order to make a change in societal reality and highlight the complementary role between both sexes in various fields.

Other topics brought up were the schools’ curriculums maintenance of gender stereotypes, commercials reproducing traditional gender roles, social media as a field of change, and men’s role as change makers.