General Union of Palestinian Women

General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), umbrella organization for Palestinian women’s groups that was founded in 1965 as part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Its general goal is to raise the status of women in Palestinian society by increasing their participation in social, economic, and political life. Among the nongovernmental groups associated with the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) are the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling and the Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development. Headquarters are in Ramallah, West Bank, and Gaza, Gaza Strip.

The mission of the GUPW is fivefold: (1) to mobilize Palestinian women to act on behalf of the Palestinian people, particularly in the fight against Israeli occupation; (2) to raise women’s political awareness and participation in both internal Palestinian politics and the greater international arena; (3) to promote gender equality within Palestinian legal and political processes; (4) to increase women’s participation in the economy; and (5) to provide literacy, cultural, and health programs that benefit Palestinian women.

Women’s groups first began to play a role in Palestinian politics in the 1920s with the establishment of the Arab Women’s Association (later called the Palestinian Women’s Union). Many women’s organizations linked gender equality to statehood, and many were associated with Palestinian political parties. Soon after its formation, the GUPW took issue with the sexist culture in the PLO, and the union became an organizing mechanism for women from most Palestinian political parties. From 1967 to 1993, many of the political activities of the GUPW chapters were clandestine, though during that period the organization developed its social and economic programs for women, with aid from the United Nations and other international bodies.

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After the Oslo Accords (1993), the GUPW openly worked to organize chapters, to elect women to serve in the Palestinian Authority, to write gender equality into Palestinian law, and to establish new social programs. In the 21st century, the union successfully promoted and trained female candidates for a variety of political positions. In addition, a number of GUPW humanitarian projects provide health and welfare services to needy Palestinian families. Many chapters hold seminars on health, political rights, and Palestinian culture, and some run vocational training centres for women.