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funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation
In August 2007, CCRR is
running a project especially for women. The target group is
Palestinian women from villages and refugee camps all over
the West Bank. In contrast to women living in the cities,
they have little access to higher education and other
methods of expressing themselves. Though organizations for
the benefit of women do exist throughout the west bank, they
are mostly aimed at the empowerment of women. However, this
project is unique in that it will be focusing on women and
their relation to conflict in the public and private sphere.
Conflict will be addressed on many levels, including within
the immediate family and beyond, on a national level.Workshops
will be run in fifteen regions with each group being made up
of fifteen women. Four five-hour sessions will be held
including a variety of activities such as games, role-plays
and discussions. The workshops will be wholly interactive
with some topics chosen by CCRR and others chosen by the
participants. The structure of the course is flexible and
can be adapted depending on the individuals and the
situations they are living in since they may have differing
attitudes and needs. It is even a possibility for men to be
included for part of the workshops if it is felt that this
will be beneficial for the women.The
workshops will be run by women trainers since it is felt
that this would make the discussions and atmosphere more
relaxed especially when discussing more sensitive issues and
when in more culturally conservative areas of the West Bank.
The trainers will also be local to the region they will be
training in which is valuable because they will be more
familiar with the specific needs and traditions of the women
in the group and will be more readily accepted by the
participants which is vital for group cohesion. The role of
women will always be governed by their gender: as a mother,
wife, daughter etc. The project is aimed at allowing women
to discuss conflict and help them become more
self-determined and ultimately to help improve their lives.
It is hoped that they can use the skills gained in the
workshops within the family structure especially in relation
to how they interact with their male family members, what
kind of role model they are for their children and perhaps
ultimately indirectly affect the Palestinian social
structure.
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