RAMALLAH, Even though Palestinian female enrollment in lower and higher education is higher than men, their participation in the labor force remains highly inferior, today said Ola Awad, president of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), in a report highlighting the situation of the Palestinian women on the eve of International Women’s Day.

The number of females in Palestine reached 2.63 million out of the total estimated population in mid-2022, with a percentage of 49%, whereas the sex ratio reached 103.3; meaning that there are 103 males for every 100 females, she said. Women headed about 12% of households in Palestine (12% in the West Bank and 11% in the Gaza Strip in 2021).

Data showed that the participation rate in formal education (one year before enrolling in the official elementary stage) in Palestine reached 63.8% in the year 2020 (59.0% among males, and 68.6% among females).

Data for the year 2020 showed that the percentages of completion of different educational levels (elementary education, secondary education, upper/senior secondary education) were all in favor of females reaching 99.6%, 96.6% and 73.9%, respectively.

Women’s participation rate in formal and non-formal education and training increased and reached 17.2%, compared to 18.0% for men in 2020.

According to data of 2019-2020, the net enrollment ratio in the elementary stage increased for females compared to males, where it reached 98.4% among females compared to 95.4% among males. In addition, the percentage of females enrolled in the high school stage reached 84.8% compared to 65.9% among males.

As for the percentage of female students enrolled in Palestinian higher education institutions, it reached 61% out of the total number of students enrolled in higher education institutions.

However, and despite the higher rate of enrollment in education for females than males, women’s participation rate in the labor force in Palestine, while it increased in 2021 compared to 2020 and reached 17% out of total women at work age in 2021 compared to 16% in 2020, the rate of men’s participation in the labor force remained significantly higher and reached 69% in 2021 and 65% in 2020.

On the other hand, the unemployment rate among women participating in the labor force was 43% compared to 22% among men in 2021. The unemployment rate among the youth (19–29 years) graduates of those who hold Intermediate Diploma and higher reached 53% (66% of females compared with 39% of males).

At the same time, 29% of wage employees in the private sector earn a monthly wage less than the minimum average wage (1,450 Israeli shekels), as the percentage was 29% for men, compared to 30% for women. Moreover, 25% of female employees hired in the private sector work without an employment contract, and 56% of them receive a contribution in financing retirement/end of the service package. However, more than half of female employees in the private sector (52%) received paid maternity leave in 2021.

According to the General Personnel Council data up to February 2022, the percentage of women’s participation in the public sector reached 47% of the total employees in the public sector. The gap is significant in the percentage of those who hold the rank of Director General and higher, where this percentage reached 14% among women compared to 86% among men.

The percentage of women elected in the 2021 local elections (first phase) was 22%, compared to 78% for elected men, as the percentage of women candidates was 26% of the total candidates, and there were 9 lists (1%) headed by women of the total elections lists.

The participation of women in decision-making positions is still limited compared to men’s participation, as data for 2022 showed that women constitute about 25% of the members of the Palestinian Central Council, the second-highest decision-making body. As for 2020, data showed that 11% of the members of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body, and 12.5% of members of the Council of Ministers are women.

Also, the percentage of women ambassadors in the diplomatic service is 11%. Moreover, there is only one woman who holds the position of a governor out of 16 governors, and 2% of the heads of local councils in Palestine are women. As for the board of directors of the chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture, the percentage of men reached 99%, compared to only 1% of women, and about 19% of judges are women, and the percentage of female prosecutors is 20%.

Awad also said that 184 women were arrested by Israel in 2021, while 32 women are still in the Israeli prisons as of February 23, 2022, 14 women of them are from Jerusalem Governorate. Also, 48 women were killed by Israeli forces during 2021 amongst them are victims of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in May 2021.

Data indicate that the percentage of women aged between 20 and 24 years, who were married before reaching the age of 15 in Palestine, was 0.7% during 2019/2020, compared to 2.1% in 2014. This percentage of women in the same age group and who were married before reaching the age of 18 years in Palestine was 13.4% during 2019/2020, compared to 24.2% in 2014.

The data also showed that 58.2% of currently married or ever-married women (15-64 years) in Palestine were exposed to violence “at least once” by their husbands, whatever its type, and psychological violence was the most common type of violence practiced against currently married or ever-married women (15-64 years) by their husbands in Palestine. Hence, 57.2% of women were exposed to psychological violence “at least once”, and 18.5% of women were exposed to physical violence “at least once,” and 9.4% of women were exposed to sexual violence “at least once” in the past 12 months preceding the interview in 2019.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency