Social and Economic Situation of Palestinian Women

In the first section of the report, we have first reviewed the more devastating effects of the Israeli occupation which have escalated during these years, from 2000-2006 and explained the ramifications of the elections for Palestinian Authority Presidency and the Legislative Council, in January, 2005, and January, 2006, respectively. Most of the first section is devoted to a description of the current conditions existing in the Occupied Territories, including Israeli measures that have imposed collective punishment on the civilian population with special focus on the impact of such policies on Palestinian women. One of these measures, the construction of the Separation Wall, is described in some detail since it is one of recent Israeli actions that are causing harsh conditions and widespread suffering to the Palestinian households especially women. The first section was concluded with a discussion of the economic repercussions of collective punishment measures on Palestinian households. The second section of the report offers a demographic portrait of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It includes information on the size, age and distribution of the population, on rates of fertility and mortality, and finally, a closer look at the Palestinian household from within in terms of factors including marriage and divorce rates, and other issues and how they relate to women. The final section, presents different socio-economic indicators of the situation of the Palestinian population. These include factors relating to political participation, labour and economy, poverty, education, legal and human rights, and health. Such indicators are used to analyze the gender gaps within the Palestinian society and the impact of such gaps on the position of women.