Young women claim their place in a Palestinian Constitution

It has made me more courageous and self-confident: I used to be afraid to give my opinion, but now I tell people about
complex issues like politics, womens rights and the Constitution. I feel strong, Amani (24) says. She does indeed make a
self-confident impression and speaks about lobbying for womens rights as if she has been a lifelong advocate, but that
wasnt always the case.
Amani is from the small traditional village of Beit Fajjar where a conservative culture and nearby Israeli settlements
make it almost impossible for a young woman to take part in public life or claim her rights. Many young women in
Palestine face the same obstacles and lack the opportunity to enjoy social, economic and cultural rights. Support from
the Fund for Gender Equality / UN Women, allowedThe Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy (PCPD) and the
Jerusalem Center for Women (JCW) to respond to this with a unique project that combines the learning of new skills
such as political analysis, lobbying and debating, with the actual responsibility to organize activities and set-up local
lobbies with the aim of influencing and opening-up the Constitutional drafting process, currently underway in Palestine.
With the current official draft only giving women limited rights and turning them into second class citizens, the more
than 700 young women and men from 27 grassroots organizations in the West Bank and East-Jerusalem who
participated in the trainings provided through the project knew what needed to be done: a Constitutional Shadow
Committee was formed, which wrote a Shadow Constitution representing full gender equality and equal opportunity.
Throughout 2014, members of the shadow committee (24 women, 3 men) and the grassroots organizations they
represent lobbied and advocated for this Shadow Constitution and have garnered the support of a further 300
organizations and political leadersin pushing for equality.
Importantly, next to the legal changes thissuccessful lobby mayresult
in, the project has drastically changed the lives of the young women
who participate in it. Next to Amani, Layali Bedawi (23) from Tulkarem
is a case in point. In her own words: I now feel that I have a right to
speak up and say that women are equal to men and deserve the same
opportunities. I had no idea what a Constitution was, what did I
know? Now, I know though, and I know it is worth fighting for equal
rights for women and improve our lives.
Layali also underlines that before the project she hardly participated
in activities outside of her neighborhood and did not feel comfortable
to travel to possibly interesting meetings or events, because she did
not feel safe or secure to do so as a young women. Being involved in
the project gave (me) a reason to travel which I did not want to pass,
I now travel to different cities and have the chance to learn from
other women there and have lost my fear, because I know I have a
voice to defend myself. A highlight for Layali was meeting with the
Governor of Tulkarem to advocate for the Shadow Constitution: I am
just a young woman, but the Governor welcomed me, listened to me
and praised our efforts, who would have thought I would be in such a
position!
I now feel that I have a right to speak up
and say that women are equal to men
and deserve the same opportunities.
Layali Bedawi (23)