Women's Rights Fund Partners in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

The Women's Rights Fund currently partners with seven grassroots women’s rights organisations in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

All Women's Rights Fund partners in Occupied Palestinian Territory have been severely impacted by the ongoing violence and lack of supplies.

Our partners plan to support affected families with food, clothing, hygiene kits, cash, counselling and more.

Oxfam condemns all attacks, violence and targeting of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. You can find out more about Oxfam's response on the Gaza appeal page.

Aid and Hope for Patient Cancer Care

Aid and Hope (Facebook) was founded in Gaza in 2009. They support women with cancer through psychosocial support, access to treatment, income generation projects and skills training.

Eman Shannan, Aid & Hope gala in Gaza in October 2022. Credit: Ein Media

Eman Shannan

Imagine yourself in a place like Gaza with poverty, unemployment... and you can't get out to get your medication. This is the main aim of Aid and Hope. To find ways, to find solutions for all women who have cancer in Gaza.”

Eman Shannan, Director, Aid and Hope, Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Aid and Hope have established the first factory in Gaza for breast prostheses. They currently support 1,700 breast cancer patients and their families in the Gaza strip.

Al Ataa Charitable Society

Al Ataa was founded in 2000 in the north of Gaza. The organisation works to protect and empower women, people with disabilities, youth and children. Al Ataa’s programmes include skills training, women leadership, access to justice and children’s education. With the onset of war, they are also supporting internally displaced people providing psychological first aid and in-kind support. Al Ataa have 29 staff members.

Al Atta on Facebook.

Bisan Benevolent Association

Bisan Benevolent Association works with women and young people providing legal, psychological and recreational support to survivors of gender-based violence.

Bisan is run by 9 volunteers and reaches approximately 1,500 community members per year.

Bisan Benevolent Association on Facebook.

Asma and Vafa taking part in a wellbeing session for survivors of gender-based violence organised by Bisan Association in Gaza.  Credit: Rana Gouda, November 2022.

Two women, one blindfolded are smiling and drawing a picture of a face on a flip chart.

We are a charitable organisation that provides services to women, children and men. We implement programmes related to mental health. The key activities that were achieved [through the Women's Rights Fund] included the construction and rehabilitation of a training facility.”

Rana Joudeh, Project Co-ordinator at Bisan, Gaza.

Sunflower Association for the Protection of Humanity and the Environment (SAPHE)

Sunflower Association was established in 2010 to protect people and the environment. They run programmes for women and young people on environmental protection, social development and job creation. They also specialise in cloth production through their recycling centre. Sunflower Association reach approximately 3000 people per year.

The Rural Women Association

The Rural Women Association was founded in 2015 to support Bedouin communities in Hebron. The association runs various projects including farming, job creation for women, literacy, childcare and health and wellbeing. They have two part-time staff members and 30 volunteers and support approximately 2500 people each year.

The Rural Women Association on Facebook.

Wefaq Society for Women & Child Care

The Women's Rights Fund is the first flexible funding we implemented and we appreciate the space we are given to set our agenda and to fund what we see as a priority.. I keep talking about this project and the importance of other INGOs to follow by example!”

Buthaina Sobh, Founder, WEFAQ

Wefaq Society for Women and Child Care was founded in 2010.

The organisation works on strengthening the resilience of women survivors of violence. They do this by raising awareness of women's rights, providing women with legal support and representation, counselling as well as community mediation services to solve family problems (such as supporting divorced women's access to their children). Wefaq have 25 employees (5 core staff and 20 project-based staff) and support approximately 600 people per year.

Women's Programmes Centre

The Women Programmes Centre was established in 1952 by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). They support women with vocational training, access to health for them and their children and psychological support. With the current war on Gaza, the organisation is also providing emergency aid (food, water and essential items) to populations sheltering in tents and schools. The number of staff fluctuates based on the availability of funding and projects. Usually, the Centre employs 10 core staff members and approximately 30 project-based staff. The centre supports 80,000 people per year via their various interventions.

Past Members

Association for the Protection of Women and Children (AISHA)

Green placard: I support women and children’s rights. Blue placard: AISHA. Red placard: Children have the right to grown in a loving family. AISHA, Image: Sultan Nassar Joha

A group of women wearing hijab with red green and blue placards with Arabic text on them.

Photo: Sultan Nassar Joha

AISHA works to protect and empower women and child survivors of violence with psycho-social, legal and economic support in the most marginalised communities in Gaza.

The organisation received a one-off grant from the WRF to provide emergency cash support to 50 vulnerable women during the escalation of violence in 2021.

Family Defense Society (FDS)

Family Defense Society - FDS was established in 1994. The organisation runs one of the three women’s shelters in the West Bank. They were a member of the Women's Rights Fund from 2020-2024.

FDS provides women with skills, training and financial aid so they can support themselves once they leave.

They work in communities with local leaders, men, boys, women, and girls to raise awareness of gender-based violence and combat patriarchal social norms that contribute to it.

FDS supports approximately 1,430 people each year.

Family Defense Society on Facebook.

Shaden Bustami

Shaden speaking at a conference

We are working with abused women and their children. We have the first shelter in Palestine. Providing healthcare and legal advice and legal representation for abused women and their children. We have a helpline and a community awareness programme.”

Shaden Bustami, Director of Family Defense Society (FDS) in Gaza.