The Center for Middle East Studies of the Foundation for the Promotion of Social Culture (CEMOFPSC) organizes, in collaboration with Fundación La Caixa, the Seminar: “The participation of women in access to and management of water: the case of Palestine” Which will take place on Tuesday 22 November at Caixa Forum Madrid, and is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID).
The water shortage suffered by millions of Palestinians has a greater impact on women. The Palestinian woman is the victim of a double violence: on the part of the Israeli military forces and the strongly patriarchal culture that discriminates them in all areas.
Currently, one in four Palestinian families is headed by a woman who supports several members. Many of these women live in rural areas where water scarcity is even more pronounced.
Agriculture in the West Bank is traditionally one of the main economic activities and sources of income for rural women. However, among other factors, difficulties stemming from the Israeli water management policy in the area – favoring the provision of illegal settlements – and the construction of barriers make it difficult for the Palestinian population, especially women, to move.
The seminar has three main objectives:
- Promote the human right to drinking water and sanitation in Palestine as a starting assumption for sustainable development
- Present good practices in access and water management promoted by international organizations, development agencies, local public and private organizations and civil society.
- Sensitize the Spanish population on the situation of human right to water from the perspective of Palestinian women in the Middle East region.
The Seminar will be attended by, among others:
Amira Hass, Journalist of Haaretz (Israel), Amin Nawahda, Civil and Environmental Engineering Agricultural Development Association (PARC) (Palestine), Yara Zayed, Director of Deem Company for Collective Development (Palestine), Randa Siniora, General Director of the Women Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) (Palestine), Fuad Bateh, Consultant in Environment and Water (Palestine), and Miriam T. Ramos Méndez, Gender Focal Point WASH Cluster (GVC – Italy).