Date: 8 March 2026
Calls on the United Nations to activate Resolution 1325 to provide immediate international protection for Palestinian women and hold the occupation accountable for its crimes.
16,000 refugee widows in Gaza’s camps face a tragic humanitarian reality amid international silence.
Salutes Palestinian women, affirming that the Palestine Liberation Organization will remain loyal to their sacrifices.
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Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, affirmed that Palestinian women today stand at the heart of the confrontation with the Israeli occupation and are bearing unprecedented humanitarian and social burdens amid the ongoing war of extermination against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip and in the refugee camps of the northern West Bank.
In a press statement issued on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8, Abu Holi said that Palestinian women have always been a fundamental pillar in the national struggle and a genuine partner in protecting national identity and strengthening the resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of occupation and its plans aimed at breaking the will of Palestinians and undermining their legitimate national rights.
Abu Holi stressed that honoring Palestinian women in the Declaration of Independence, describing them as the “guardians of our survival and our eternal flame,” reflects the firm belief of the PLO in their pioneering and struggle-driven role as a safeguard for the unity of the Palestinian people and their national identity.
He pointed out that the decision by the President to amend the election law to raise the women’s quota to 26%, alongside the decision of the Central Council in its 31st session (February 2022) to increase women’s representation to 30% in all institutions of the organization and the state, falls within a strategic and sovereign vision aimed at empowering women and strengthening their presence in decision-making positions.
He emphasized that these steps reflect a high appreciation for the competence of Palestinian women and their exceptional leadership capabilities in building and managing state institutions and protecting the national project, noting that they are a fundamental and genuine partner in the journey of liberation and nation-building.
He added that Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip, the refugee camps of the northern West Bank (Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams), and in the diaspora camps are living through one of the harshest humanitarian tragedies in contemporary history. This comes amid a war of extermination that has left thousands of martyrs and wounded, destroyed residential neighborhoods and refugee camps, and forced hundreds of thousands of families into displacement and the loss of basic necessities of life. As a result, Palestinian women bear the greatest burden in protecting their families, caring for children, and preserving the cohesion of society under catastrophic humanitarian conditions.
