FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES
Women's Affairs Technical Committee (WATC)
National Network
Palestine
Street address 2
Mobile Phone
174Telephone
2986811Telephone (other)
1006E-Mail (2)
watc_finance@palnet.comYear of Establishment
1992Contact Person1
Ms. Rula GiacamanContact Person 2
Ms. Jamana TawasheOrganisation Type
Non-Governmental OrganizationFields of Activity
Democracy and community developmentGeneral Information
WATC is a coalition of women affiliated to 7 political parties, women’s organizations and centers, and established in 1992 concerned with women’s issues. There are 28 employees and around 500 volunteers. WATC implements projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in coordination with member women's organizations, in addition to networking with the General Union of Palestinian Woman and civil society organizations. NOT FOR PUBLISHIG: Projects expenditures for 2005 were US $ 800,000. The sources of funding for 2005 were: WLP, NED, CIDA, Konrad -Adenauer- Stiftung, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Diakonia, DED, The Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority, NPA, and community contributions. WATC organizational structure see Annex IMission and Objectives
WATC aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, to develop their role in society, and to enable them to reach decision-making positions. Objectives: 1. Develop the capacity of women member organizations with grass roots and activate their role in the process of community change. 2. Improve the level of coordination and networking with the civil society organizations to gain more support for women’s issues. 3. Monitoring legislation, laws, policies and programmes for elimination of gender discrimination, and ensure the protection of women's rights. 4. Develop women's skills and competencies to reach decision-making levels. 5. Identifying and nurturing talented women and support their initiatives 6. Promoting social awareness on women’s issues and rights, and erasing stereotypes about women's roles in society.Main Projects / Activities
WATC works at different levels: at the level of the decision makers, community awareness, empowerment of women, capacity building, and networking for a unified agenda for women’s rights. The table below the target groups and the programmes and activities and strategies directed to each group. Programmes/Projects that WATC worked at in the last 3 years: Advocacy and lobbying Empowerment of young women Empowerment of rural women Empowerment for leadership Voice of Women Newsletter T.V. Programme The Website Women of the future (IT Centres) Community EducationGender mainstreaming in development (partnership projects) Campaigning for girls' education