Al Bireh- On the 26th of March 2010, PRCS organised a central ceremony to mark Mother’s Day and the International Women’s Day in honour of Palestinian women in general, and of PRCS female staff and Safe Motherhood Committees’ (SMC) volunteers in particular. One of the four ceremonies was held in Bidya (Salfit Governorate).
The ceremony, organised by the Primary Health Care (PHC) Department, was attended by PRCS President Dr. Younis Al Khatib, the Director of the PHC Department Dr. Anwar Dweikat, the Mayor of Bidya Mr. Moustafa Da’ass and a large crowd comprising officials from local CSOs and SMC members in the Northern West Bank.
In his speech, Dr. Al Khatib said that throughout PRCS’s history and development, women have fulfilled their duties and occupied various posts, including the posts of President, Vice-President, member of the Executive Committee and of the Administrative Committee and Head of Department. They have also taken part in numerous delegations sent by PRCS abroad. “Women are part and parcel of PRCS. They constitute one of the Society’s pillars and ensure its development, the diversity of its services and help strengthen the steadfastness of Palestinians. Women have also been at the forefront and have always ensured that their families take part in events and activities organised by PRCS”, he added. Dr. Al Khatib also lauded SMCs which operate within the Society’s PHC Department, affirming that SMCs are amongst the most successful initiatives launched by PRCS in the past few years.
Mostafa Da’ass, Mayor of Bidya, underlined the great role played by women in the Palestinian society, side by side with men, commending their efforts to serve their country and to ensure its development. He also commended the efforts of PRCS and the unique services it provides to Palestinians. He praised the role played by SMC members in his town, highlighting the support they receive from PRCS, which culminated in the establishment of the Child Club Project under their supervision.
In the same vein, PRCS organised two other ceremonies on the same occasion in Ithna (Hebron Governorate) and Qattana (Jerusalem Governorate), as well as a third ceremony in Khan Younis (Gaza Strip) under the banner “For less-advantaged women within the Palestinian society”.
The ceremonies featured artistic, cultural and recreational interludes including Palestinian Dabkeh, plays and songs celebrating women and the role they play in society. Several SMC members were honoured and handed shields during these ceremonies. Flowers were also distributed to women taking part in these events.
It is to be noted that Safe Motherhood Committees work under the umbrella of the PHC Department at PRCS and are part of the community-based development project initiated in August 2004. The project aims at raising effective health awareness through 25 committees comprising mostly women in 25 key areas (PHC areas) in addition to 50 sub-committees (in neighbouring villages) established during the project’s second year. This project, jointly funded by the German Red Cross and the EU, has enabled PRCS to mobilize more than 900 qualified and trained women volunteers to work in 75 committees in various areas and villages in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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