Women trade unionists in Palestine: battling on all fronts
Brussels, 8 February 2005 (ICFTU OnLine): Although generally well qualified, Palestinian women remain on the margins of
the labour market. Yet within the current climate of mass unemployment and increasingly precarious, underpaid jobs, they
bear the brunt of the crisis, playing an essential role in the coping strategies of their families and communities.
This new Trade Union World Briefing (http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991221250) underlines how labour market segregation penalises Palestinian women, who remain largely concentrated in the
industrial zones, domestic work and, primarily, agriculture, a sector where the work they do is all-too-often unpaid.
Curfews, roadblocks and border closure which characterise the occupation have led to the bankruptcy of various
industries traditionally employing women, such as the textile sector. As a result, the majority of Palestinian women
have turned to some kind of home-based employment in an attempt to escape poverty. But the work done at home is not
considered official, is not protected by any laws, and does not provide them with a proper salary. "Because they are the
first to lose their jobs, women accept deplorable working conditions, making pickles, for example, or other food
products in their homes. But how can we defend them when they are not considered as genuine workers by the law?"
explains Abla Masrujeh, women's coordinator of Palestine's general federation of trade unions, PGFTU, an ICFTU
affiliate.
In addition to discrimination in the labour market, they also have to cope with negative trends in Palestinian society,
manifested for example in the rise of conservative ideas and the upsurge in early marriages arranged by families who,
driven by mounting poverty, are anxious to be freed of mouths to feed. Furthermore, those women employed outside the
home all-too-often carry the burden of moral disgrace, a factor deterring others from even looking for work after
leaving school. The young women who do, nonetheless, enter the labour market often see their careers come to an end when
they have children, such are the difficulties in combining work and family responsibilities given the appalling lack of
childcare facilities.
"For all women, it is a daily battle to meet the basic needs of the family. Getting to work, to school with the
children, to the market, to the hospital or to the houses of friends and relatives ... is like trying to get round an
assault course, with all the roadblocks and military operations. The day-to-day struggle is the same for women trade
unionists... But, on top of all this, they have to battle to carry out their "normal" trade union work, such as visiting
the workers, holding meetings, negotiating with employers, lobbying the authorities on trade union issues, or fighting
for gender equality both within society and the labour movement itself," explains Masrujeh.
In this new Trade Union World Briefing, women trade unionists from Palestine explain how they are fighting to innovate,
to counter male resistance, the lack of information for women, the many demands on their time, and the lack of resources
in general. Home visits, first aid solidarity services, and joint initiatives with the Palestinian women's movement are
among the many examples illustrating their determination to develop original and alternative strategies.
While the recent election of Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian National Authority has brought new hopes of
progress, this new briefing follows on from the solidarity mission of the ICFTU Women's Committee, which visited
Palestine and Israel last year and fervently expressed the desire that women trade unionists from both sides of the
conflict might play a role in advancing the cause of peace.
The ICFTU represents 145 million workers in 233 affiliated organisations in 154 countries and territories. ICFTU is also
a partner in Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org/