NEXAM KARACA

Gaza- Palestinian Developmental Women Studies Association (PDWSA) was founded in 2006 to support Palestinian women. We spoke to Sahar Yaghi, the president of the association, about the works of their association. “We have developed projects to empower women's economy and increase women’s participation in decision-making positions,” she told us.

“Society cannot be liberated if women are not liberated”

Noting that the social imposition of restrictions on women causes serious problems for women, Sahar Yaghi said, “As Palestinian society, we are under siege. We can say that all Palestinian people face violence due to the ongoing siege. The economic crisis affects our works. Women face unemployment. Our slogan is that society cannot be liberated if women are not liberated. Society should be educated. We can overcome difficulties with the economic and educational power of women.”

“Sexual violence is our main agenda”

Nourhan Al-Muzaini, the coordinator of the project “Enhancing the Protection of vulnerable communities and strengthening the resilience of people in the Gaza Strip”, spoke to NuJINHA about the works of the association. “We, as the association, work to empower women's economy and to increase women’s participation in decision-making positions. Struggle against sexual violence is one of our agendas. We work coordinately with other women’s organizations in the region.”

The association provides legal and psychological support for women

Stating that the association provided both legal and psychological support to women throughout the year, Nourhan Al-Muzaini said, “We also held awareness-raising workshops in 2021. We completed a training project participated by 30 female researchers. Recently, we have realized 33 small projects. After the last attack, we organized courses for women and provided financial support to them for a month with the support of Oxfam. We submitted three urgent projects to support women during the Covid-19 pandemic.”