Hebron – West Bank – ActionAid Palestine organized vocational training sessions for women in Hebron’s Old City as part of the project “Valiance -Basala -Empowering women in old City of Hebron(H2)” funded by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. These sessions aim to develop women’s professional skills to improve their economic empowerment opportunities, reduce unemployment rates among women, encourage engagement in the professional and technical sectors, and provide opportunities for them to establish their own projects to achieve economic independence.
The training sessions seek to empower women and enhance their practical and economic skills, emphasizing the importance of such initiatives in supporting women, expanding their opportunities in the labor market, and developing their own projects to improve their economic status within the community. They also aim to increase women’s public participation, encourage involvement in freelance work, and enhance existing women-led enterprises.
During these trainings, women were taught how to make soap using process of refrigeration, an environmentally friendly technique that reuses olive oil unfit for consumption. Participants were introduced to the entire production process from start to finish and gained practical skills that qualify them to establish small home-based businesses that generate sustainable income in an environmentally safe way.
The training also included professional fruit arrangement, cutting, and presentation, aligned with the requirements of the restaurant sector. This helped participants develop practical skills qualifying them to work in food production, event management, or to start small individual projects in this field.
The "“Valiance -Basala " project supports women in Hebron’s Old City by providing specialized vocational and administrative trainings, supplying materials, tools, and other productive resources. Economic activities alongside awareness campaigns have contributed to enhancing women’s economic and social empowerment by improving their access to resources and addressing the structural causes of discrimination and violence against women. These efforts are supported by collective analysis of the social, political, and economic context affecting all aspects of life.
These training sessions reflect ActionAid’s commitment to empowering women not only through theoretical knowledge but also by equipping them with practical, applicable skills that open new economic horizons and strengthen their role and status within society.
About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people across more than 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a just and sustainable world where every individual enjoys the right to a dignified life and freedom, a world free from poverty and oppression. We work towards social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication.
ActionAid Palestine began operations in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs engaging Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civic and political participation to understand their rights and engage collectively in addressing rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. It also seeks to improve their leadership capacities and citizenship practice by holding authorities and other responsible parties accountable.
For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy Officer, ActionAid Palestine
Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org