WE CHANGE - Participatory gender pathway and promotion of women’s economic empowerment in Palestine

The three-year project implemented in the West Bank and Gaza Strip promotes gender equality, the economic empowerment of women, and job opportunities in the labour market in Palestine. The project adopts different participatory and inclusive approaches such as the Social Transformation methodology and the Adaptive Leadership Approach on one side, which focus on stimulating opinions exchange and peer-to-peer debates; and the Positive Deviance Approach on the other side, to challenge gender stereotypes and traditional roles within the society as a way of contributing to the promotion of women’s rights and empowerment. Within this framework, the project foresees a series of conferences, the realization of policy papers on Women’s Economic Empowerment, and monitoring of policy implementation as well as training sessions and financing for SMEs. In addition to that, six cultural events will be organized to promote and disseminate the artistic production on gender-related topics and issues to stimulate debate and reflection within Palestinian society.

150 women were directly involved in capacity-building sessions during the project providing a solid background to the women entrepreneurs and improving their entrepreneurial projects through the enhancement of personal capacities such as leadership, business management, marketing, digital marketing, gender equality, and positive deviance. 

Following the sessions, 50 women leading Palestinian SMEs in both the traditional and art sector were awarded grants in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, this funding will be accompanied by coaching activities from experts in order to provide support during the project’s implementation and technical reinforcement on their businesses development and sustainability.