Women's Day: During their celebration of International Women's Day:
Sharek Forum and UNIFEM Launch the Academic Counselling Project for Rural Young Women

Sharek Youth Forum and UNIFEM has launched the Academic Counselling Project for Rural Young Women in celebration of the International Women‘s Day – 8^th of March, emphasizing the role of women in the social and economic development process.

The launch was announced during a celebration organized yesterday by Sharek Forum in cooperation with UNIFEM at the Forum‘s premises in Ramallah, commemorating the International Women‘s Day with the participation of a large number of young women, female university students and rural women.

Sharek Executive Director Bader Zama‘reh highlighted the role of women in the human and social development process and the importance of women‘s economic empowerment, indicating that the Forum involves women in all programs and events throughout the country, with focus on young women.

"Through A Step Forward program, we seek to develop and build the capacity of women leaders, who can act as positive and influential elements in the development process," Zama‘reh said.

To this end, the Forum has worked with over 500 girls in rural areas from all over the West Bank and Gaza Strip by implementing the academic counselling project for rural women in 25 villages. The project aims at enabling young women to learn about the Palestinian labour market, as well as assisting them in completing their education and re-enrolling in schools and universities.

Zama‘reh stressed that the Forum‘s programs and projects focus on women by offering young women the priority in job opportunities.

In her address to the audience, UNIFEM director Ms. Alia El-Yassir stated that UNIFEM works around the year with Palestinian women through Sabaya centres located in various Palestinian localities in cooperation with local institutions. She emphasized that the celebration of the International Women‘s Day is not limited to women‘s organizations but also involves all community structures.

El-Yassir also noted that the theme for UN celebration of the International Women‘s Day this year calls and encourages the international public opinion towards investment in women as a major pillar and resource for human development, which is unfortunately underestimated and needs to be mobilized.

She stressed that the academic counselling project for rural women focuses on women education. In view of the accord in objectives between UNIFEM and Sharek Forum, both parties entered into a partnership to support the education of older women and young women who could not complete their education, negatively reflecting on their situation and hindering their economic empowerment. She underscored the fact that the program targets rural women and girls in marginalized and remote areas.

El-Yassir added, "Although we are proud of the high female enrolment in education compared to international rates, we in Palestine suffer from a problem in the quality of education offered to girls and in the increased rate of school dropout among girls in the basic education level, as well as the influence of the stereotyped traditional perception of girl‘s education. In addition, the education sector has become saturated with high number of female teachers, which means that the labour market in the education sector will eventually be unable to absorb more women. This is an indication of the need to match the outputs of women‘s education with the capacity of various vocational sectors in the labour market.

The rural women‘s academic counselling project manager Fraya Van Hi called for making every day an international women‘s day, not only the 8^th of March every year. She stressed that Palestinian women suffer from weak or lack of laws, regulations and legislations that would protect women‘s rights, considering this situation a misery.

She stressed the right of Palestinian women to education, particularly rural women and girls, pointing out the impact of social norms and traditions on the development of women‘s educational, economic and cultural capacity.

UNIFEM coordinator in the northern region of the West Bank, Miriam Shadid, affirmed the importance of the International Women‘s Day, especially for Palestinian women, as it signals a renewal of efforts and struggles for defending and achieving their rights. She also affirmed the importance of academic counselling for women, especially those who dropped their academic study in view of social obstacles and fears. She wished that women are set free from the prejudice by both the Israeli occupation and their own society.

Ranya Abu Ayyash from Hebron hoped that Palestinian women reach the level of effective social action, stressing the importance of the academic counselling project for rural women, especially young women, as it promotes their economic and social status.

Finally, Zakiyeh Ibrahim from Deir Abu Da‘eef Centre in Jenin affirmed that the academic counselling project responds to the aspirations of Palestinian women, especially in rural areas. She wished that wars, political and military conflicts and occupation will end, gender equality will be achieved and that justice and liberation from the occupation, as well as from social norms and traditions will be realized.