Women in Politics

Womens Affairs Technical Committee (WATC)

During the local elections conducted throughout the period 2004-2006 over 500 women were elected to local councils in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is attributable to a quota adopted recently. The quota is largely the result of intensive lobby work on the part of the WATC. In order to support elected women as they assumed their new offices, the FES worked in cooperation with the WATC to offer a training program for newly elected councilwomen. Intensive training accompanying their work has taken place since 2005 in the high density areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and has been met with considerable popularity. Besides the transfer of local political experience, network building is also promoted among elected women. Lobby work, communication training as well as the foundations for gender sensitive planning and analysis of annual budgets are other focal points.

See the short report on the WATC training for women in local councils here
See the short report on the Role of Women in Politics in Germany and the Palestinian Territories