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Social and Economic Situation of Palestinian Women and Girls (July 2016 - June 2018)

Symbol: 
E/ESCWA/ECW/2019/TP.2
Issued in: 
2019

The report covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018, which was characterized by major developments in the security and political situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. The first chapter of the report presents a background on the volatile political setting and its impact on the wellbeing and rights of women and girls. It lays out the devastating effects of the 11-year Israeli blockade of Gaza on the nearly two million Palestinians who are denied free access to the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory and to the outside world.

The second chapter presents the socio-economic indicators that define the lives of women and girls in the State of Palestine. It provides information on the increasing gap in living standards between the communities within the West Bank, and between West Bank and Gaza, where the blockade, combined with periodic escalation of violence and the longstanding political divide between the Government of Palestine and the de facto authorities, has led to further deterioration in the living conditions of women and girls in Gaza and has deepened their vulnerability. The third chapter assesses the extent to which the State of Palestine has made progress in aligning national legislation and policies with the international frameworks. The report then concludes with a set of recommendations that encompass a broad range of gender-sensitive legal and institutional reforms along with economic and social measures to enhance the rights and wellbeing of women and girls.