The Women in Law Project is partnering with Kamal & Associates, Attorneys & Counselors-at-law to support the implementation of professional development activities for young Arab female legal practitioners and law students in the Palestinian legal community.
Shahinaz Abu Farha, a recent graduate of the Birzeit University Law Faculty, registered with the Palestinian Bar Association, and a lawyer - in- training is the Palestinian country coordinator for WILpower. Together, with the support of a core group of professional female attorneys and law students, she and WILpower participants will look at ways in which to empower other young women in the legal sector and assist those working in legal reform, community development, social work, human rights and women’s issues in the Palestinian community.
In recent decades, there has been progress on improving gender equality in the Palestinian Territories, including sharp increases in the number of women graduating from university or seeking an advanced degree. That said, women in the Palestinian Territories face significant barriers to their equal participation in society. For example, women in the legal sector have traditionally experienced difficulty advancing professionally and obtaining equal compensation for equal work. Although article (9) of the Palestinian Basic Law emphasizes the principle of equality and non-discrimination on the basis of gender or other factors, current Palestinian legislation and even draft laws still include provisions that discriminate between men and women.
In response to these challenges, WILpower seeks to support the efforts of the Palestinian legal community as a whole, offering opportunities for professional growth and development through several workshops to be held in Ramallah and other strategic locations. These workshops will focus on multiple topics - including but not limited to - English and Arabic legal research and writing, oral argumentation skill building, leadership training for young attorneys, as well as business and entrepreneurial skills training applicable for start-up law firms. In addition, other online legal skill-building, social networking, and professional resource support activities will be offered.
WILpower has conducted local trainings in the Palestinian legal community - in both Ramallah and Nablus. For a summary and photos of local activities, please click here.