Gaza - With appreciated funding by the Swedish Kvinna Till Kvinna Foundation, the second round of the “Women's Leadership Incubator” project has been launched by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor’s Gaza regional office in the Palestinian territories with active attendance and engagement by the selected participating institutions.

The second phase of the project is aimed at targeting more women from different areas of the Gaza Strip, said Project Manager Abeer Abu Shawish, stressing that “[the project] will provide funding for several small projects to be implemented by five community-based organizations selected to participate in this second cycle of the project. Working on the ground with the participating institutions,” Abu Shawish continued, “the project aims to employ and integrate marginalized women into the development and implementation of action plans, all in the service of women and their communities as well.”

The project will focus on building concrete partnerships among the project’s participating institutions, human rights organizations, as well as local and international civil society organizations operating in the Strip.

With the purpose of launching joint advocacy initiatives and campaigns aimed at supporting women, protecting their rights and promoting gender equality in various sectors of the densely populated enclave, the project will also link local institutions together with international human rights activists and organizations.

By organizing meetings with decision makers, individuals and parties interested in women's issues, the project will carry out activities discussing the role of women in decision-making and their productive participation in local committees, municipalities, the Legislative Council and the presidential elections.

Euro-Med Monitor launched the first round of the “Women's Leadership Incubator" project early last year to help empower women, promote gender equality, and encourage the integration of women into the community leadership system. Training local and NGO staff, we have been able to encourage women to take team leadership positions, while also improving the living conditions of women in local institutions and in the community as a whole.