The third Feminist Peace Movement From Around the World that we would like to introduce you to is the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW).
The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) is the women’s arm of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). The Union was established in Jerusalem in 1965 to represent the voices of Palestinian women, whether they are living in Palestine, in refugee camps or in the diaspora. The GUPW combines advocacy for the Palestinian cause with women’s rights advocacy.
The Union champions Palestinian self-determination and women’s rights by fighting for a set of key demands:
The Union’s Leadership consists of Union President Intissar al-Wazir (who also goes by the name Umm Jihad) and Union Secretary Haitham Arar. The Union has a total of 22 branches. The West Bank has 11 branches, while there are 5 in Gaza. There are also Diaspora branches in Lebanon, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Sweden.
The GUPW takes a multidimensional approach when it comes to their work. On a legal level, the Union aims to write gender equality into Palestinian law. On the social plane, they want to establish social programs that cater to women. When it comes to political matters, the GUPW is promoting and training female political candidates. They are also engaged in humanitarian efforts and offer health and welfare services. To promote education, the Union conducts seminars on health, political rights, Palestinian culture, and leads vocational training centres for women.
Palestinian politician and educator Salwa Abu Khadra, who is a long-standing member of the GUPW had this to say about the links between women’s rights advocacy and Palestinian liberation.
As previously mentioned, the GUPW also conducts workshops. In cooperation with UN Women, the GUPW organised 54 workshops over three months with the topic „Empowering Advocates for Gender Equality to Promote the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine“. The workshops discussed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the importance of women’s political participation. Workshop audiences comprised people of all genders and educational backgrounds.
