Women and Recovery in Palestine

Case Study

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In the Jenin district of Palestine, many residents are refugees, or the children of refugees, of the many wars and crises which have troubled the area this century, particularly since 1948. Most residents have had little or no schooling, and depend on small-scale agricultural and livestock activities as their main sources of income and food, or work in quarries and small factories. Many also work across the border in Israel, although their labour and wages are often disturbed by violence, border closures, curfews and difficulties in obtaining work and travel permits. Most homes and businesses have access to electricity only several hours a day, if at all, and safe drinking water is often scarce. The experience of being refugees and the years of violence have left many people disabled physically as well as emotionally.

Jenin women are more likely than men to have had no schooling. Most women earn a small income in home industries, such as sewing, while some work in the industries above. Early marriage is common. In 1993, 54 per cent of women who married were under the age of 18, and 25 per cent were under 16. The average number of children per family is seven. Fifty per cent of mothers have iron deficiencies, and seven per cent of the children are under weight.

Jenin women approached CARE Australia in late 1996, seeking basic education in life skills, financial security, independence, and assistance for their communities. CARE arranged interviews and distributed questionnaires to learn more about the social, legal, economic and political concerns of Jenin women: their rights, child and teenage problems, civil rights, leadership, decision-making, time management and self esteem. It became apparent that basic education and job training, as well as small loans to start businesses, would assist many women to achieve their goals.

With funding from AusAID, the Australian Agency for International Development, CARE set up a number of projects with the aim of improving the condition of Jenin women and, subsequently, their communities. The projects were managed by local women with good records in action for women's rights and experience in training and financial management. The women were trained in preparation for the specific needs of the projects, and so they could eventually run the projects without external support and financial assistance.

There were two main groups of courses - job skills and finance - taken by 270 women. Job skills courses included basic sewing, clothes and curtain design and making, embroidery, traditional straw craft, hairdressing, food processing and ceramics. Finance courses dealt with loan management, basic book-keeping, small business management and marketing.

In association with the courses, some existing women's groups were strengthened and new ones created. These groups, as well as individual women, contributed to the costs of running the initial training courses. Under the leadership of the project managers, each group elected a voluntary treasurer and secretary who helped share the different aspects of management.

Different courses were set up in the towns and villages according to need. In some communities, due to social and family networks, the number of women enrolling for the courses was greater than the places under offer. However, no women were turned away as long as they could demonstrate commitment to the course and plans for using their new skills.

Upon completion of the courses, usually over three months, the women could apply for small loans to start their businesses, as long as they could prove that they had saved money over that time. This ability to save, take out a loan, then establish a business, would then help the women obtain finance from larger lending institutions, such as banks, if required later.

Unfortunately, violence and border closures continue in the region, and sometimes disrupt the flow of finished goods to markets outside Jenin or result in product loss or damage. Also, on social and religious grounds, some men resist having their women participate in activities outside the home. This situation has become less common as women have proven themselves capable of assisting their families during difficult times, such as when border closures prevent male family members from working. The sensitive management of the project by the coordinators, including community education, has also helped overcome potential problems.

Overall, the project has been highly successful and is a model for the implementation of this type of project. Enrolments have increased and all loans have been repaid, but the large number of women who claim that the project has improved their lives, and benefited their families and communities, is the best possible feedback.