Press House in partnership with REFORM organize a dialogue meeting entitled " Women’s Labor between stereotypes and Creativity”

On Wednesday, 24th of July 2019, the Press House - Palestine, in partnership with REFORM, organized a dialogue meeting entitled " Women’s Labor between stereotypes and Creativity- Challenges and Recommendations”, as a part of the project “Fostering Social Inclusion and Gender Equality within Palestinian Society tackling gender stereotypes”, funded by the Italian GVC Foundation.

This meeting is one of a series of dialogue meetings to be presented during the project period, to shed light on issues regarding women’s labor in socially, legally, economically and other terms, with a focus on the most important challenges that women are forced to face.

The meeting was held in the presence of Rola Alian, the facilitator of this meeting, Dima Shushaa and Hamdi Shushaa, who have a successful personal entrepreneurial experience. Where Dima has highlighted many of the challenges she encountered when launching her project "Souvenir". Facing fconomic and social difficulties due to the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip from shortages of raw materials and labor requirements.

Dima stressed the complementary and supportive role of her brother Hamdi Shushaa, who was a key pillar for her advancement, in a clear and explicit challenge to the social stereotyping that prevents women from leading roles in business.

For his part, Hamdi Shusha said that he was still convinced that his sister Dima is the best partner he has had since the "souvenir" project was just a thought.

In this context, the journalist Rola Alian stressed that women in the Palestinian society continue to suffer from social and gender discrimination in terms of study, specialization and labor prospects, especially in the marginalized areas. She also reviewed, through her 17 years of journalism experience, many examples of stereotyping and marginalization suffered by women journalists at that time, and society's perception of their presence in the newsrooms at early and late times with male journalists.

Rola also stressed that what women have achieved today is a result of the work, challenge and confrontations faced by women in many fields and at all levels. She pointed out that the challenge is continuing and that Palestinian women are still able facing this challenge.

The meeting came up with several recommendations, the most important of which is that the change starts from and within each individual in the society. where Men and women are the two pillars of a single balance, in addition to focusing on the need to activate the laws related to women's labor with enhancing their role based on efficiency with the need to provide more creative solutions to overcome the challenges facing women.

It’s worth noting that this project aims at challenging discriminatory and exclusionary practices and behaviors that contribute to promoting gender inequality by providing safe spaces for marginalized groups, especially youth and women, to discuss gender-based societal issues, and to improve the exchange of experience among the various components of Palestinian society to promote the social inclusion.