Co-operative News - Equality

Co-operatives can empower all women — International Women's Day statements

Emily Barker — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:31:05 +0000

Co-operatives can play a much larger role in supporting gender equality, said two leading women from the International Co-operative Alliance.

President of the ICA, Dame Pauline Green and ICA Gender Equality Chair María Eugenia Pérez Zea released statements for International Women’s Day urging the Co-operative Movement to help empower women worldwide.

Dame Pauline said: “Over the last four decades, the position of women has made some progress, however, it is still too little and too long in coming… Let us insist that today’s world demands equality for each individual whether man or woman.”

She described this as “the real co-operative message” and added it was time for the Co-operative Movement to work towards the economic, social and political emancipation of all women.

She added: “Co-operative businesses have done so much to help women onto the ladder of economic activity. With that comes community respect, political legitimacy and influence.”

Traditional approaches to governing society are simply no longer relevant, she explained. “Having more women in key decision-making places in political, economic and social decision-making at all levels in society is the way to move away from the sort of decision-making that has served us so poorly in recent years,” said Dame Pauline.

She added: “Building a better world is about allowing each person to flourish and fulfil their potential — nothing else will do.”

María Eugenia Pérez Zea, the Chair of the ICA Global Gender Committee, said the co-operative business model is an ideal platform to break down the barriers of inequality. She added it was "the preferential model to enable women to have access to a participatory democracy, to decision-making bodies, to markets and technology, and above all, to protect them from the injustice of the current dominant development model".

She explained it has become urgent to redefine the stereotypes of power and leadership about women to make sure they enjoy equal treatment in the decision-making processes.

She added that many studies have shown there is an essential link in obtaining equal rights for women and reducing poverty, improving health and education alleviating the climate change effects and making headways towards a more sustainable development.

“All these objectives are shared by the world co-operative movement, are interdependent and support gender equality and women’s empowerment.”

Ms Pérez Zea invited every co-operative in the world to give the highest priority in its policies to the equal recognition of rights and opportunities to women.

She added: “ICA recognises that the Gender Agenda has gained more relevance than ever before and it is our opportunity to seek even more equality for women — by showcasing that our leadership is the most effective model for socio-economic development.”

Ugandan co-operative pioneers gender equality scheme

Emily Barker — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:29:37 +0000

A Fairtrade co-operative in Western Uganda has pioneered a ground-breaking training scheme to help to increase gender equality throughout the region.

The Bukonzo Co-operative in Western Uganda has 2,400 farmer members and produce some of the finest washed Arabica coffee in the world.

It is made up of 85 per cent of women and has pioneered the methodology ‘Gender Action Learning System’ (GALS), a training programme designed to tackle issues in gender empowerment such as land ownership, and division of labour.

Gender equality is a big issue in Africa, traditionally women often take a leading role in coffee production, but have little control over the proceeds .

Even in co-operatives, few women are members, because the land deeds are registered in their husband’s names. This has a knock on affect, as women are normally responsible for children, food, health and education.

Yuilda Sunday, a member of Bukonzo Co-op was kicked out of her home, because her husband sold the land without telling her. She explained: “I was living with my co-wife on our land while our husband was in town. We thought he was working but in fact he had borrowed money and then sold our land. One day a man came claiming he had bought our land. We knew nothing about it.

“This man told us to leave and when we resisted he destroyed our crops on the land. He even destroyed the house where we lived.”

She now has control her own land, she added: “Now I am happy I know the land belongs to me and I can farm it.”

Men and women take part in the GALS programme and couples analyse how they can work together to produce better coffee and make joint household decisions.

Kule Eziron, the Clan Leader, explained: “Because of the changes we are intending to make in this country in these days, we men should share equally with women. Women work more than the men on the development of the land.”

GALS also teaches members about microfinance, allowing them to understand where their money is being spent.

Teresa Kulabirahi, Member Bukonzo Joint, added: “Since we have started working together I feel more comfortable because now I know how the income is spent while before I didn’t know. Now I can spend some of the income myself.”

The training method uses pictures as most of the members are illiterate to show where their money is being spent and to explain the discrepancies between the work of women and men.

The project has been highly successful, Bukonzo Co-operative are working with an project called ‘Joint Marketing Initiative: A Project of African Coffee Farmer Co-operatives and Twin’.

JMI is made up of eleven coffee co-ops in Africa and they work with the UK based Fair Trade pioneer Twin.

Bukonzo Co-op is now working with other JMI member co-ops to train them in the GALS approach.

GALS is not the only JMI co-op working towards gender equality. Gumutindo co-op near Mount Elgon, East Africa’s oldest and largest volcano has also made huge leaps toward gender equality.

Fifty per cent of Gumutindo’s board members are women – a ground-breaking dynamic in African business. They even have a coffee called ‘Women’s coffee’ made by their 725 female coffee farmer members with the premiums going directly to the female members to invest as they choose.

Gumutindo are also working with Bukonzo on the GALS programme. JMI are dedicated to increasing gender equality in Africa and to help to spearhead a revival in Africa’s reputation for producing good quality coffee, with smallholder farmers at the heart of the movement.

New book charts Robert Owen's revolutionary history

Emily Barker — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:44:54 +0000

THE story of the Scottish Cotton Mill village, New Lanark, ran by social pioneer Robert Owen has been told in a new book out next year.

The book is a fictional reworking of the tale of Robert Owen, whose work went on to inspire the Rochdale Pioneers, and his father-in-law, David Dale, as they revolutionised working practises in the New Lanark cotton mills.

‘New Lanark – Spinning New Lives’, by C.A. Hope, will be launched in New Lanark on 28 February 2013, and will be available through bookshops and the internet from March 1.

The story will use real historical events to map the journey of Robert Owen, and how the mill he bought from his father-in-law helped to change the lives of workers throughout the world.

“Dozens of factual books and learned papers have been written about New Lanark and Owen/Owenism, but I wanted to lay out the unfolding, personal journey of the villagers and mill owners in a narrative that would be accessible to everyone. These people did not know they were making history, they were just going about their work and everyday life;” said author, C.A. Hope.

David Dale was considered an enlightened employer for his time, however it was under the influence of Owen that new social and educational reforms were implemented.

C.A. Hope works with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, while working in the village of New Lanark she found herself being asked about Owen by passing visitors.

“On encountering, for the thousandth time, a visitor gazing at the mills and wondering what it must have been like to live there in its hey-day – I decided to find out properly and tell them;” she remarked.

She explained that during the 1780s, when the book is set, many influential figures including Robert Burns, Thomas Muir and Thomas Hardy were standing up for people’s rights.

“What a background! What a story to be told – so I wrote the book! Hopefully it will be both an entertaining and enlightening read;” she added.

She hopes the fictional telling of the story will go some way to answering questions such as ‘what sort of man was David Dale’ and ‘why did Owen buy New Lanark Mills?’

The book is being published by Marluc, 400pp and a sequel called New Lanark – Living with a Visionary will continue the story.

Co-operative leads the way on LGBT equality at work

AnthonyMurray — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:12:37 +0000

An initiative designed to offer advice and support to thousands of LGBT employees is helping the Co-operative Group lead the way on equality issues.

Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender employee network Respect recently celebrated the fact that the Group is now officially the most LGB-friendly retailer in the UK, ranking third in the 2013 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, which measures employers’ efforts to tackle discrimination in the workplace.

Launched in June 2010, the network is there to support LGBT staff and to advise the Group on all matters relating to inclusivity and equality. Its Co-Chair is Thomas Anderson, who has worked for Co-operative Pharmacy for five years.

He said: “The Co-operative Group has always led the way on equality and there was a real appetite for the idea when we started.

“For many years now the Co-operative Group has sponsored Pride events in Manchester and elsewhere and given thousands of pounds to gay charities. Our diversity teams have also done a lot of valuable work so it was a natural progression to set up the network. It is really important that LGBT matters are driven by people who really understand the issues and can help break down the barriers which still remain.”

The initiative is led by a 16-strong steering committee made up of Co-operative Group employees from right across the board in all parts of the UK. Its e-network has over 2,700 members through social networking on Facebook and Twitter and there is an e-newsletter with regular social events and meetings for members.

Said Thomas: “We are here to offer help and advice and the opportunity to speak to like-minded people and counter negativity in the workplace

“There are members at every level possible, from the shop floor to those who decide what goes on the shelves. In a relatively short space of time we have become one of the largest networks of this kind and are continuing to grow.”

He added: “We have come a long way in the past 20 years or so – but it is not so long ago that homosexuality was illegal and you could end up in jail. Many of our employees now just over retirement age will remember those days.

“Times may have changed but there are still lots of inequalities out there and we need to set a positive example.”

According to statistics released by the Co-operative Group, around four per cent of employees identify themselves as LGBT.

In a recent survey of 108,000 employees, 86 per cent replied and 91 per cent declared their sexual orientation.

Thomas said: “By any standards, that’s a massive response to a questionnaire, but you would hope that people working for the Co-operative Group would be comfortable saying how they feel about such issues.”

LGBT employees were at the forefront of the recent submission put together by the Co-operative Group in support of equal marriage and the Group was the only employer to give evidence support in Parliament.

Group staff also produced a video of support with contributions from leading co-operators including Paul Flowers, Chair of the Co-operative Banking Group.

At last year’s Co-operatives United event in Manchester, Mr Flowers also hosted an event attended by over 400 employees and ten different LGBT charities celebrating the achievements of the Co-operative Group.

Respect is now working with other leading retailers, including ASDA, John Lewis and Morrisons, to help launch checkOUT – an inter-retail support group for LGBT employees.

Meanwhile, there has been a clutch of other awards for achievements in the equality field. The Group recently won another Stonewall award for its innovative approach to offering products and services to LGBT customers. The Pink Paper awards also recognised The Co-operative Bank as the best bank/financial institution and the third best LGBT business in the UK.

And the Co-operative Group was named ‘Employer of the Year’ at the inaugural National Student Pride Awards held in Brighton at the beginning of March.

Said Thomas: “To win an award that was voted for by students is a testament to how The Co-operative is positively viewed by many people around the UK.

“It’s very important we are representative of the communities that we serve and that everybody has the same positive work experience and everyone has a voice. We are a very diverse organisation with thousands of employees from remote parts of Scotland down to the South-East and one of the biggest challenges we face is reaching everyone right across the spectrum.”

He added: “We are proud to be a benchmark for the retail sector thanks to our ethics and our values.

“The work will carry on in 2013. We have no intention of resting on our laurels We are proud of what we have achieved but there is always work to be done and we still have a lot of work to do.”

• For more details, email respectLGBT@co-operative.coop, or follow @CoopRespectLGBT on Twitter.

No More Page 3 campaign want co-op support

Emily Barker — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:04:38 +0000

Members from the No More Page 3, a campaign against the Page 3 models in the The Sun newspaper, are visiting the Rochdale Pioneers Museum this Good Friday in hope of drumming up support from the Co-operative Movement.

Lisa Clarke from the campaign explained why they have brought the campaign to Rochdale: “We chose the museum because we wanted a focal point of reference to co-op history. Co-ops have a great history of supporting women's emancipation and we want to appeal to them to help us with our current battle.”

The campaign set up a petition this year, which has reached over 88,000 signatures, to remove the Page 3 models from the daily newspaper.

Lisa added: “At the museum we plan to stage a peaceful demonstration simply by spreading the word about No More Page 3, collecting signatures for our petition.”

The visit will be targeting the Co-operative Group, who Lisa Clark hopes will take notice. She said: “We have heard from the Co-operative that they are listening and that's great because our supporters are certainly still sharing their feelings.”

She explained a group called Local Mums Online have asked the Co-operative to remove publications, which have content such as Page 3, to the top shelf where children can’t see or access them.

The theme of the visit will be Sunfragettes; they are asking people to come dressed up in an outfit that uses the iconic image of the suffragettes with a No More Page 3 twist.

Gillian Lonergan from the Co-operative College explained that the Co-op Movement has had a “long history of equality”.

She added a recent document drawn up by the London Co-operative Society in 1825 said: “To women, forming half the human race, equally capable with men of contributing to the common happiness and equally capable of individual enjoyment, we guarantee eligibility equally with men, to every situation within the Community, to which their individual talents and inclinations may adapt them. We also guarantee to them equal means of acquiring knowledge and social pleasures, and of individual freedom of opinion and action, as well as an equality of property, and the physical means of enjoyment with men."

The Pioneers also believed in equality and in their 1844 Rule Book included: “the word person to include females as well as males.”

The campaign has recieved support from Labour/Co-op MP Stella Creasy, among others.

People can read more about the campaign here: www.nomorepage3.org

To support the campaign sign the petition here.

The No More Page 3 visit will take place at 1pm outside the Rochdale Pioneers Museum.

A New York poetry co-op helps aspiring writers

Anca — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:05:12 +0000

A New York based co-operative is helping established and aspiring writers from all over the world to share in the art of poetry.

On World Poetry Day, Co-operative News talked to Lissa Kiernan, founder and Director of a poetry co-operative called The Rooster Moans. The co-op is dedicated to promoting, and inspiring the reading and writing of poetry.

A Brooklyn-based poet, essayist and critic, Lissa founded The Rooster Moans as a private online poetry community back in 2007.

“I decided to take the site public, as a co-operative in January 2011 when, after graduating from my MFA program, I began to lament the loss of community and the lack of post-graduate continuing education options.”

She started recruiting teaching artists, both emerging and established, to teach on a variety of themes, in accordance with their areas of interest and scholarship.

“In our first year, all but one of our workshops filled to capacity,” she said.

Co-operation is key to the success of The Rooster Moans. The website became the centre of a cross-cultural network of information sharing on the art of poetry.

It also empowers poets by offering several free workshops each year, and offering a wide range of workshops at a wide range of budgets, starting as low as $50 per workshop.

Through the online platform, teaching artists and students can provide feedback on each other’s work. They are encouraged to post critiques of other members’ poems every week. In this way, explained Lissa, they “are committing to the benefits of working co-operatively”.

They even produced a co-operative poem, to which everyone contributed at the end of one of the workshops.

According to Lissa, more similar co-op initiatives could help to address the lack of post-graduate continuing education options for writers.

“Many people in our community have testified to the hole in their lives that was filled by the presence of The Rooster Moans. More often than not, cost and access were the overriding prohibitive factors, two factors that we’re able to reduce the impact of given our online model and our comparatively low cost of admission,” she said.

She added: “Being a small organisation, it's been challenging to wear so many different hats: administrator, web developer, business person. Occasionally, it's been difficult to find time to write my own poetry. However, myself and several of our teaching artists, particularly our board of advisors - Maureen Alsop, Brenda Mann Hammack, and Susan Yount- attempt to personally take part in as many workshops as possible.”

The Rooster Moans created an online network of artists where there are no hierarchies.

“It allows the students to see that, regardless of level of experience, we’re all working artists, and that being a published poet doesn’t mean that you don’t still struggle and grapple with your art, and/or obviate the need to revise, revise, revise,” explained Lissa Kiernan.

The motto of The Rooster Moans is “workshops that work”. By co-operating and sharing experience, students and teaching artists share a responsibility in the workshop’s success.

To celebrate World Poetry Month, Rooster Moans is launching a 'non-contest' that stipulates each entry must be accompanied by a recording of the poem. The ‘non-contest’ was announced on World Poetry Day on 21 March and will open for submissions on 1 April, which is the start of National Poetry Month in the US.

“We're calling it a 'non-contest' because we're going to publish every entry that we receive, and allow the entry fee to be payable by donation, asking only that the poets contribute what they feel is fair.”

The poem must include some reference to a “rooster”.

The initiative aims to help poets to publish their work, many struggling to get their poems published for the first time, without regard for cost.

Women co-operators in Spain help to spread gender equality

Anca — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:15:54 +0000

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Co-operative News spoke to Lola Sanjuán Jurado, President of Amecoop Andalucia, an association of women co-operators promoting gender equaliy based in southern, and most populous, region in Spain.

How is Amecoop celebrating International Women’s Day?

Amecoop is taking part in various activities throughout Andalusia, particularly in the region’s major cities. We tend to operate within Andalusia.

Jointly with the Federation of Worker Co-operatives of Andalusia (FECTA), we have also published a manifesto in which we stress out that co-operatives offer equal opportunities for men and women. The manifesto is available online.

Is there more gender equality in co-operatives than in other enterprises?

Of course. Co-operatives build an enterprise model in which it is easier or rather more feasible to integrate gender equality than in other enterprises. Equality has been a very important aspect for co-operative eneterprises, ever since the Rochdale Pioneers integrated the notion of equality within co-op values and principles.

In Andalusia the new Co-operative law that was approved at the end of 2011 recognizes the principle of gender equality as a fundamental principle affecting the other principles as well. This is a great step forward for the 23,000 women that work in the local co-operatives.

Compared to other enterprise models, co-operatives enable gender equality in various ways. For example, co-ops offer an equal pay for an equal work, thus the pay gap is lower than in the case of other enterprises. We also offer equal opportunities and training, which improves professional development. There are also more women in leadership positions within co-ops than traditional enterprises. Because members have a word to say in the decision-making, they are able to adapt better to various challenges and they can also balance work life and personal life better.

This however, does not necessarily mean co-ops are free from gender inequalities, but, as explained, this happens at a lower rate than in traditional enterprises.

What are the most important projects of Amecoop?

Our aim is to build a more equal society, where there is less discrimination. In order to achieve this, we work with the council of Andalusia, town halls, county councils and other entities that can help us promote equal opportunities for women and men in the co-operative environment and society in general. We also work with public or private sector organisations from all over the world.

As founding members of the Social Economy Federation of Businesswomen (FEMPES), we were also present when an agreement was signed between this Federation and the Institute Andalusian Women (IAM), in 2009.

As part of this agreement, we were involved in the programmes IGUALEM 2009-2013 and SERVAEM 2009-2013, managed by IAM and co-financed by the Social European Fund. These programmes are part of Action Pillar 1 on Entrepreneurial education and training to support growth and business creation.

We have also initiated the first training network for the Andalusian women involved in social economy, under the coordination of FEMPES and funded by Andalusia Emprede and The Andalusian Public Foundation.

International co-operation is also on our agenda; jointly with the Federation of Credit Unions of Honduras and the Social Economy School of Andalusia, we have developed a training scheme called “Strengthening women active in co-operative enterprises”. The aim of this training scheme was to empower women active in co-op enterprises.

We are also particularly proud to have had the opportunity to put forward an initiative for a new Law of co-operative societies, having appeared before the Economy, Innovation and Science Commission of the Andalusian Parliament.

This new law was approved in December 2012 and we have had an important input in writing and updating the law, putting forward proposals and suggestions from a gender perspective, representing the interests of women co-operators.

What can be done to involve more women in the co-op movement, particularly in leadership positions?

To address the asymmetrical tendency existing in all levels of society we need a complex strategy.

A major problem is the assumption that women are more likely to start a family and thus less likely to be promoted in leadership positions. This issue, along with other organisational factors such as the fact that promotion depends sometimes on connections established outside the working environment or after working hours does not provide the same level of access to leading positions.

To address this problem we need to call for joint responsibility of both the private and the public sector. At entrepreneurial level, it is important to have the support of women that can serve as an example. Leadership training courses, formal or informal, are an extremely efficient tool in leadership formation. Mentoring and coaching are a key part of leadership.

This is why Amecoop created last year the first network of entrepreneurial training for women involved in social economy. Though this scheme entrepreneurs with more than five years experience in the market created a network that would advice and support other entrepreneurs seeking to consolidate or grow their enterprise. This scheme helped them to come up with new strategies.

Has the International Year of Co-operatives helped to increase awareness of gender equality?

Of course. The global attention that the International Year of Co-operatives has received made it possible for more people to find out about co-operatives values and principles. These values also include gender equality and fairness and this makes co-operatives a more equal and accessible enterprise model for women. The efforts made by organisations has been extremely relevant; they encouraged co-operators to spread this enterprise model, raising awareness over the advantages it brings for women, whilst making it visible that we represent 50 per cent of the co-operative movement.

March 8th is International Women's Day "The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum"

AnthonyMurray — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:35:46 +0000

Read and share the Message from ICA President, Dame Pauline Green, in English, French and Spanish.

Read and share the Message from María Eugenia Pérez Zea the ICA’s Gender Equality Committee Chair in English, French and Spanish.

Women in worker co-ops receive equal pay, while private sector has wage imbalance

Anca — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:18:33 +0000

Although inequality in pay between men and women remains high in Europe, a new survey shows that salaries in worker co-operatives tend to foster gender equality.

According to the findings of the European Project - Active Women in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), there is more gender equality in worker co-operatives across France, Italy and Spain, than in traditional enterprises.

In Spain, women have to work 82 extra days to receive the same salary as a man. France is in a similar situation, with women needing to work 15 months in order to earn as much as men earn in one year, according to Eurostat.

However, more than 70 per cent of the Scop members that took part in this survey said there are no major earning differences between men and women. According to the survey, in 93.8 per cent of cases gender based salary discrimination does not exist within worker co-operatives in Spain, France and Italy.

According to the Spanish Confederation of Worker Co-operatives (Coceta), more than six million European women aged 25-49 say they cannot work on a full time basis due to their family responsibilities. For this reason they sometimes choose to work on a part time basis or hold positions that involve less responsibility. However, more than 28 per cent of the women taking part in this survey were married and had children. This shows that worker co-ops offer equal opportunities for women with a family.

Coceta also revealed that 49 per cent of worker co-op members were women and 39 percent of them held leadership positions.

Women within worker co-operatives also seem to have a better quality of life. The survey reveals that worker co-ops provide more opportunities for promotion and training than traditional enterprises.

The 133 women interviewed said they receive an equal salary to the one men receive for an equal workload. They said they could reach the highest leadership positions whilst also benefiting from training opportunities.

Overall, the survey shows that worker co-ops provide equal opportunities in terms of leadership and salary. It also shows that co-op members manage to have a better balance between work and personal life. The survey concludes that worker co-ops empower women whilst also improving their entrepreneurial potential.

“Active Women in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)” is a project sponsored by the European Union and conducted by Coceta. As part of the project, Coceta conducted a transnational study to assess the situation of women in worker co-operatives. 85 worker co-operatives took part in this survey.

Co-ops could be key to a new approach to Palestinian aid

Anca — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:50:27 +0000

Co-ops could play a key role in developing a new approach to Palestinian aid, according to prominent Palestinian political analyst, author and journalist; Nadia Hijab.

Nadia Hijab, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies and co-founder of Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network, said co-ops could help to build a new development model across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt).

Ms Hijab said that although many people in the oPt depend upon foreign assistance, Palestine's dependency upon aid should not be seen as a normality. She emphasised that it is necessary for aid to be a stepping stone towards sustainable development.

Nadia Hijab said growth based on foreign aid is unsustainable; therefore it is important to promote co-ops as local economic enterprises.

Nadia Hijab explained: “co-ops are a very useful form of sustaining social and economic development under these conditions of prolonged occupation”.

She added that pushing trade-oriented growth is not the right way to achieve sustainable development, particularly due to border controls, which make it difficult to export Palestinian products.

Ms Hijab said that co-ops have the advantage of being locally based, yet they are also able to extend to a larger scale. She added co-op enterprises can break barriers and overcome geographical isolation, whilst building social solidarity.

Nadia Hijab said co-ops face many challenges, she added: “there isn’t a strong sense of social solidarity and willingness to co-operate outside the family structure.”

She explained since the first intifada there has been an extended effort to develop the local economy in order to boycott Israeli goods to the extent possible.

According to a UNCTAD report, agricultural sector's contribution to Palestinian GDP shrank from 12 per cent in 1995 to 5.5 per cent in 2011. Nadia Hijab added that agricultural co-ops, the theme of this year’s World Food Day, could help to address the decline in the agricultural sector. Donors have invested less than one per cent in the agricultural sector and this could be reversed partly by investing in agricultural co-ops.

Said Nadia Hijab: “One of the problems that come with aid is that building capacity takes a much longer time than giving someone a grant and not building the capacity to sustain it, not just to develop a small business. It’s a matter of building capacity, collaborating with others to achieve an economy of scale”.

Another important aspect that should be taken into account by donors is, according to Nadia Hijab, market research. She argued that a lot of doners tend to look at what the producer can offer, but not necessarily at what the market needs, analysing whether there is a demand for that product within the market. She gave the example of Palestinian embroidery, saying aid has been granted to start such enterprises, but there has been little research to see whether the market needs the products.

She added co-ops could help to promote women enterprises and gave example of International Labour Organisation's (ILO) programmes aimed at creating decent and sustainable jobs in Palestine.

ILO’s work has also extensively focused on the creation of decent and sustainable jobs in the oPt and co-operatives are part of ILO’s strategy to address unemployment, gender equality or poverty reduction.

In December 2009, at the request of the Palestinian Authority, the ILO provided technical assistance to the Government and social partners to support national co-operative reform efforts, including drafting a new co-operative law. ILO’s projects have also been focused on unlocking women from traditional sectors and finding niche markets through its Gender and Entrepreneurship Together programme.

Nadia Hijab is a political analyst, author and journalist, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies and co-founded Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy.

Al-Shabaka The Palestinian Policy Network, is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organisation whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law.