UN Women facilitates open day event concerning "The joint cooperation towards peace, security and justice for Palestinian women"

Nisaa FM:-  Wednesday the 27 of September the UN women’s organization hosted its 7th ‘open day event, in Ramallah since 2010, focusing on Women, Peace and security’. The Event on Women, Peace and security, is a worldwide project that marks the anniversary of the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, and peace and security.  The main aim with the open day’s event is to provide a space for direct dialogue between women’s rights organizations, women community leaders and senior UN representatives. The event focuses on sharing experiences, concerns, ideas and priorities as a contribution to resolve conflict and to bring focus on women empowerment in Palestine.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the United Nations, including the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Nikolai Mladenov, Oluseyurin Gamsran of UN Women, Hanan Qaoud, Director of the Women's Peace and Security Program, and a group of Palestinian jurists supporting women's rights. Member of the Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Culture and Information Department Hanan Ashrawi,

As the situation  in Gaza and the west bank including east Jerusalem continues to deteriorate, the Palestinian population and specifically Palestinian women and girls faces the detrimental effects of living under occupation. The event aims to raise awareness and to advocate for women’s peace and security in Palestine.  

Participating in the event was representatives from the civil society, including Dr. Hanan Ashawi, UN special coordinator for Middle East peace process Nickolay mladenov,   as well as representatives from the Palestinian government and international women’s rights organizations.

In a debate coordinated by the even Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Mr. Nikolai Mladenov and Ms. Gamsran discussed the important role of peace and security for Palestinian women. Hanan Ashrawi explained, that peace and security is a necessity in order to boost female empowerment in Palestine “We have never seen peace, I have never seen peace. But we need peace; we need security in order to progress” Furthermore, she expressed her hope that the international society would recognize the basic rights that the Palestinian population and in specific Palestinian women is deprived of. “Palestinian people have been deprived of the rule of law. If you believe in the rule of law you believe that it needs to be implemented in all states and be upheld.”

Mr. Nikolai Mladenov expressed his hope that open meetings and similar events will help to get women’s rights and women empowerments back on the agenda.” Events like this one is a powerful way to get women’s rights back on the agenda”