“On this International Women’s Day, the United Nations acknowledges and celebrates the contributions of Palestinian women to the development of their communities. We also recognize the efforts made by Palestinian civil society and the Government of Palestine to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

While we celebrate the important progress, we are also cognizant of the many obstacles Palestinian women continue to face. This includes the context of continued military occupation as well as general concerns over safety and security, livelihoods, employment, political participation, access to education, health care and other services, including to victims and survivors of gender-based violence. We look forward to the Government of Palestine and other stakeholders working to bridge the gap between policy commitments and translating them into law and practice.

The United Nations believes in the importance of the empowerment of Palestinian women and girls as a crucial component of the realization of human rights, peace and security and in building a thriving Palestinian society.”