Programmes

Spring Forward for Women

The Spring Forward for Women Programme is a regional programme funded by the European Union in partnership with UN Women. Through this programme, UN Women provides a mechanism to advance the political and economic empowerment of women living in the southern Mediterranean region, including the occupied Palestinian territory, and to assist women to reposition themselves in the political, economic and decision-making spaces so that they may have greater influence in shaping the future of their countries in the on-going democratic transition while protecting their previous gains.

The programme works at multiple levels to respond to the specific needs for support at the regional and country level, building on local initiatives in priority countries, with the recognition that sustainable change must be locally-owned and led. In the occupied Palestinian territory, the programme is supporting capacity development of 450 women elected to local council positions, through catered training which has been developed using evidence-based knowledge of the obstacles and challenges faced by these women in the political sphere. The programme is also facilitating discussions among relevant stakeholders from government, political parties, unions and women’s organizations on Palestinian women’s political participation through the establishment of a first-ever advocacy caucus.