Promoting and protecting the rights of women workers in the agricultural sector in Palestine
Funded by TUC Aid
This project is being delivered by the General Federation of Agriculture and Food Industries (GAUFI) and Palestinian General Federation of Trade Union (PGFTU) in partnership with the Arab Trade Union Confederation.
Project budget: £7,207.08
Timescale: 12-14 months
Palestine is a priority country for the TUC. The TUC has long called for an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and respect for Palestinian rights.
Women make up the majority of the workforce in the agricultural sector in Palestine and the illegal settlements. They face systemic discrimination, low wages and poor working conditions. Most workers do not know about their rights or how to enforce them. The greatest challenge these women face is the negative impact of the occupation on the agricultural sector.
This project operates at 2 levels – (i) organisational and (ii) workers.
At the organisational level (for the General Union of Agriculture and Food Industries) the project will:
Increase understanding of the issues faced by women workers in the agricultural sector to inform strategy development, planning, bargaining and social dialogue.
Train staff to provide specialist advice and document cases related to violations in the agriculture sector specifically.
At the worker level, the project will:
Increase women workers’ knowledge, understanding and awareness of their rights, the role of trade unions, health and safety, and how to enforce their rights.
Empower women to raise their concerns and seek advice and support.
This project will support TUC advocacy related to respect for human and labour rights in Palestine.
Progress report September 2024-February 2025
- 18 trade union officials from GUAFI were trained to document complaints specifically relating to work in the agricultural sector. Emphasis was placed on the importance of having women within trade unions, mechanisms to attract women, and strategies for encouraging female workers to report violations to the complaints unit, including promoting the free hotline/helpline.
- 1000 booklets on labour law, ILO conventions, and 1000 booklets on OH&S have been produced – these have been distributed during field visits.
- 20 trade unionists were trained to enable the field visits to be carried out effectively. Training included concepts of breaking down barriers, entering worksites, improving communication between union representatives and workers. The worker survey used on field visits included – occupational health and safety, issues related to discrimination, labour law.
- 19 field visits have been carried out in the governates of Jericho, Nablus, Tubas and Jenin.
Shaher Sae’d – PGFTU General Secretary and GUAFI leadership met with the Minister for Agriculture to brief them on the challenges facing workers in the agricultural sector including those related to legislation, OH&S, policies linked to the occupation – which are undermining and destroying the necessary infrastructure. The minister discussed emergency plans being implemented by the government, developing strategies for food security, especially since the agricultural sector in Gaza has been destroyed. There was agreement to hold a series of meetings on issues related to food security, green jobs, climate change and challenges facing workers in the sector (especially after the Israeli government announced control over more land for settlement expansion).
Project activities
- Training 18 female staff members at GUAFI to provide advice in-person and via the helpline (hotline) in response to complaints made by workers, specifically related to the agricultural sector
- 1 day training workshop for the coordinators of the GUAFI Women's Department in the agricultural sector - to support strategy development and planning.
- 1000 awareness raising brochures on Palestinian labour law, challenging discrimination, ILO Convention 190 - Violence and Harassment, and organising
- 1000 awareness raising brochures focused on health and safety
- 35 field visits to engage with workers about their rights at work, working conditions, and benefits of joining a union (taking into consideration the impacts of the occupation).
- 1-day training workshops for women workers will take place in Jericho, Nablus, Jenine and Tubas focussed on Palestinian and Israeli labour law, challenging discrimination, gender-based violence, gender equality, ILO Convention 190, organising tactics and encouraging participation in trade union democracy. 80 women will be trained in total.
- 1-day training workshops for women workers will take place in Jericho, Nablus, Jenine and Tubas focussed on health and safety. 80 women will be trained in total.
Project outcomes
- GUAFI will have increased organisational capacity with a cadre of 18 staff specifically trained to document cases and provide advice to workers in the agriculture sector - either via the helpline or in person.
- Up-to-date and sector specific evidence obtained through the project activities will enable GUAFI, particularly the Women’s Organisational Department, to strengthen their strategic approach and planning to address the challenges faced by women workers in the agriculture sector, including when bargaining with Palestinian employers and engaged in social dialogue.
- Through field visits and access to the brochures, 200-300 women workers in the agriculture sector will have increased awareness, knowledge and understanding of their rights, labour laws, health and safety, challenging gender-based violence, and the benefits of joining a union (where this is possible in the context of the occupation and settlement work).
- An expected outcome is that women workers will feel more empowered to raise their concerns, seek advice from the GUAFI in-person or via the helpline, and to better defend their rights.
- Through training and access to the brochures, 80 women workers will have deepened their knowledge and understanding of Palestinian and Israeli labour law, challenging discrimination, gender-based violence, gender equality, ILO Convention 190, organising tactics, and have a better understanding of how to defend their rights.
- Through training and access to the brochures, 80 women will have increased understanding of occupational health and safety, including the impacts of pesticides on reproductive health, and occupational diseases. They will have a better understanding of how to defend their rights, including through forming health and safety committees.
- GUAFI and PGFTU will have up to date evidence to share with the ILO for its report ‘The situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories’, and with the ITUC for the purposes of advocacy.
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