19 July 2011
East Jerusalem
The International Labour Organization and UNRWA signed a memorandum of understanding at Ankar Suites in Ramallah today, to support Palestine refugee women starting their own businesses, for an amount of US$ 100,000. Funded through the Spanish government, the project falls under the joint UN approach to achieve the gender equality millennium development goal in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The deputy minister of labour, Dr Hasan Khateeb, along with ILO and UNRWA representatives, attended the signing. Over a period of nine months, 100 refugee women will be able to overcome the barriers they face to create and expand their businesses. This will contribute towards improving the economic situation of their families while acting as role models for their daughters and young refugee girls in the community. The project will also contribute towards decreasing the number of unemployed women refugees who tend to face a higher rate of unemployment.
The project activities will be implemented through UNRWA’s partner network of community-based organisations in refugee camps across the West Bank with the technical assistance from ILO. Activities will include professional skills training, marketing of Palestinian products, financial support through small loans, and community support structures for women entrepreneurs.
This memorandum of understanding represents a continuation of an important partnership between ILO and UNRWA to support the achievement of ending poverty and hunger (MDG 1) and gender equality (MDG 3) for Palestine refugee women.
For more information, please call:
Ilona Kassissieh
Public Information Officer
Orange: 054 216 8717
Office: 02 589 0408
InterTech 
