Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Private Sector: Women’s Representation and Participation in Decision-Making Positions as a Necessary Tool

The current study is within the ongoing efforts of Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) to achieve social justice and gender equality
in Palestine. The invested efforts of the organization, in this regard, are dedicated to achieve one of its strategic objectives, which is the economic empowerment of women, from a liberation perspective, believing that it is the threshold and the necessity to enable women enjoy their civil, social, cultural, and legal rights. Likewise, PWWSD thrives, through working on women’s economic empowerment, to enable women achieve economic independence to pave the road in the face of their fully engagement in the community. 

Since its establishment in the year 1981 and through its prolonged journey of work, PWWSD bloomed advocating the rights of Palestinian worker women and advocate for their issues to minimize to minimize excluding and marginalizing women and eliminating economic gender-based violence. Furthermore, the organization lobbied decision-makers and policy designers to change the applied neoliberal economic policy that the Palestinian Authority adopted since its emergence towards the mid of the last decade of the previous century. Experience revealed that the mentioned policy increased the economic fragility of women and deepened their dependence on men. Such situation returns with negative impacts on women’s roles in public life and participation in the decision-making circles on all levels. Similarly, the applied economic policy increases the gaps between the social classes within the Palestinian community. 

On a related level, annexing the Palestinian Economy to the Israeli, which caused the absence of economic sovereignty and the increase of poverty among Palestinians, particularly among women, are among the major challenges that the Palestinian community faces. Based on that, the in-hand study serves as an analytical tool and source of knowledge to understand the status of women in the private economic sector and highlight the structural and political gaps that block the efforts of empowering women economically. 

The recommendations included in the study serve as a clear road map to advance women’s economic empowerment and achieve economic independence. However, achieving such objectives is conditioned by the availability of a strong political will and effective coordination mechanism among the various stakeholders, including governmental institutions, private sector, and civil society organizations to contribute to creating a just economic environment that fosters women’s participation in the decision-making circles on all levels, and provides women with the required social and legal protection.
Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Private Sector PWWSD affirms that economic empowerment of women is not just an abstract objective, but it is a resisting liberation act that ensures women’s right to selfdetermination on the economic and social levels, and leads to build a fairer community. Likewise, the current study falls within the efforts of PWWSD to empower women in the private sector and identify the gaps and obstacles that determine effective participation of women in the economic life. The importance of the study lies in the fact that it explores the economic empowerment off women within a complicated social and political context. Moreover, the study adds to the knowledge about women economic empowerment and enriches the literature in this regard. As the study is produced by one of the reputable research institutions in Palestine (MAS), increases its value and credibility. On a related level, producing such a valuable study within the activities of the program Feminism for Economic Rights (FEM PAWER), funded by the Dutch Government and implemented in four countries, will be of an added value and contribute to promote the economic role of Palestinian women and their experience to globalize the work of  Palestinian CSOs in empowering women as a pioneering experience in this regard. 

Finally, PWWSD expresses its deep gratitude to the Dutch Government for its generous fund of the program (FE PAWER) for the noticeable contribution in
empowering Palestinian women and highlighting their issues on the national, regional, and global levels. Additionally, PWWSD expresses its deep thanks to
Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, for its significant role in leading the Program. Thanks go also to the team of Palestinian Economy Research Institute (MAS) for the valuable efforts in producing the study and affirms the importance of joint work among the Palestinian CSOs.