Enhancing the Effective Participation if Women in Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Trade in Palestine - Policy Paper (1)

Explanatory Introduction

Over the past five months, the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) has prepared a detailed study for the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), titled “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Private Sector: Women’s Representation and Participation in Decision-Making Positions as a Necessary Tool.” In its six chapters, the study covers a wide range of topics related to women’s empowerment, such as women’s participation in the Palestinian labor market, their work in the informal sector and unpaid care work, in
addition to their participation in decision-making positions. The study also included a descriptive and diagnostic analysis of women’s participation in the labor market, a qualitative analysis of women’s entrepreneurship and a quantitative analysis on economic violence, in addition to other topics related to women’s empowerment. One of the study’s chapters contains a detailed and comprehensive presentation of the research findings, and each policy summary will focus on one of the study’s main themes and present key recommendations that
would enhance women’s economic empowerment. 

Brief Background 

Chambers of Commerce are a regulatory framework representing and defending the private sector and its interests. According to 2019 data, their membership totaled approximately 77,000, of which only about 3,000 were women, representing 4%. By 2023, the number of women members declined to 2,200. With regard to women’s representation, the percentage of women on the boards of directors of chambers of  commerce and industry does not exceed 1.8%, while men constitute the remaining membership. To date, there is no legal text guaranteeing women’s representation within chambers of commerce, although it is close to proportional representation in various governorates. Chambers of Commerce provide a range of services to women’s projects and a large number of female business owners are still members and run for elections.