Women Groups of ActionAid Palestine to Participate in a Charitable Pink Bazaar during COVID-19
Hebron- West Bank-Women groups of ActionAid Palestine participated in the charitable pink bazaar that was organized by Cancer Patients charitable Society in the governorate of Hebron in accordance with the safety and social distance measures. It was organized on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month or Pink October which starts on the first of October every year. This month is globally dedicated to raise awareness about the importance of early detection exams of breast cancer under exceptional circumstances the world and Palestine pass through due to COVID-19.
The bazaar offered micro-entrepreneur women and other women working in informal sector an opportunity to market their products that were affected due to lockdown resulting from the spread of COVID-19.The bazaar aimed at raising the awareness of women about the importance of early detection exams of breast cancer and providing them with free medical guidelines and brochures. The participation of women in charitable bazaars their collective work by focusing on helping women to organize themselves and establish networks and associations representing their concerns and interests. The proceeds from bazaar sales will go to help patients with cancer.
Through AAP’s program of Child Sponsorship and project of “Valiance “Basala”-Empowering women in the old city of Hebron,H2” funded by Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade(DFAT), women groups were able to participate in this bazaar. AAP seeks through these programs and projects to economically empower Palestinian women and address causes of their marginalization and lack of gender equality in the community. Those programs also raise awareness of women on health and legal issues and organize advocacy campaigns to defend women’s rights and strengthen their resilience and secure a healthy and decent life for them under protection threats that H2, and other areas in the south of West Bank suffer from.
According to official statistics, 3800 Palestinian women in Gaza Strip and West Bank have been diagnosed with breast cancer over the past 5 years. It is worth mentioning that breast cancer is at the forefront of cancers in Palestine, accounting for 16.9% of the total number of the cases of cancer that were officially reported.
Background Information
ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working for social justice and gender equality and eradicate poverty. ActionAid works worldwide to empower people living in poverty and exclusion with focus on women’s rights .ActionAid works directly and closely with communities, civil society organizations, women movements and social groups and movements and other allies to tackle root causes of poverty and oppression. ActionAid deliver grassroots programs to utilize efforts of global struggle movements working for a just, fair and sustainable world. Based on human rights-based approach and women rights’ principles, ActionAid seeks to fairly re-distribute powers through solidarity, empowerment, awareness campaigns and creating alternatives to ensure that everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from oppression.
ActionAid in Palestine (AAP) is a part of that federation which started its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian People as ActionAid believes that they should enjoy their rights to freedom, justice and self-determination. AAP implements a number of programs through its engagement with communities and women and youth groups seeking to empower them and enhance their influential civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective activism to address the protracted rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation of Palestine. AAP works simultaneously to enhance their leadership capacity and knowledge to practice their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers to account.
For more information, please contact
Riham Jafari
Coordinator of Advocacy and Communication in Gaza Strip and West Bank
Mobile:
+972 (0) 595242890
Office:
+972 (0) (2) 22 13 137
Email: