MEND - Gender Transformative Programs

The PAX and MEND partnership addresses the challenges of social fragmentation, gender inequality, and violence in Palestine through a series of transformative programs. These initiatives equip participants with the tools to promote cohesion, advocate for their rights, and foster nonviolence. Focusing on both gender equality and broader societal issues, the programs include participatory video training to amplify the voices of women and youth, nonviolence workshops, and advocacy efforts centered around the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. By fostering collaboration across fragmented communities in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, these programs aim to combat alienation, amplify marginalized voices, and create sustainable networks for peace. Through a blend of training, media outreach, and participatory approaches, these programs empower participants to take practical actions, such as creating citizen journalism reports, hosting community discussions, and advocating for women’s leadership. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a more cohesive, resilient, and equitable society despite ongoing challenges under occupation.

Building Resilience, Promoting Peace

What is the problem?

Palestinian communities face severe social fragmentation, alienation, and systemic violence exacerbated by the Israeli occupation and internal societal challenges, such as patriarchy. Women and youth are particularly marginalized, with limited opportunities to advocate for their rights, build solidarity, or access platforms to influence decision-making.

What do we think?

We believe that empowering marginalized groups—especially women and youth—is essential to fostering social cohesion, nonviolence, and gender equality. By providing women and youth with the tools, training, and platforms to express themselves, we enable them to challenge both societal and systemic barriers, including gender-based discrimination. This approach contributes to sustainable peace, gender equity, and a more inclusive society where all voices are heard and valued.

What do we do?

Through several programs, we have supported Palestinian women and youth to amplify their voices, foster unity, and advocate for change. By training participants in participatory video, we’ve enabled them to share their stories and bridge divides across fragmented regions. Participatory video is a method of film production in which a group of people or a community make a short film or clip together to explore an issue that is important to them, create dialogue, and give a platform to unheard voices. Often, the videos are shown afterwards to a broader audience in local communities, giving rise to important conversations on certain topics.

Our active nonviolence workshops have cultivated skills in peacebuilding, gender equality, and advocacy, while media literacy sessions equipped participants to combat misinformation and become citizen journalists. We’ve also strengthened women’s leadership through initiatives promoting women’s rights and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. Finally, community-led actions like video campaigns, pamphlets, and local meetings have raised awareness and driven meaningful change at the grassroots level.

What do we want?

Our goals are to rebuild social cohesion and a sense of belonging among Palestinian women and youth, foster a culture of nonviolence and collaboration, amplify marginalized voices to influence policy and community decisions, and promote gender equity by empowering women as leaders and advocates for their rights.

So far, we have united Palestinian youth from Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem through participatory video projects, fostering meaningful discussions on identity and solidarity. We have facilitated women-led film discussions where they successfully engaged local leaders and communities, raising awareness about gender equality and women’s rights. And we have trained over 50 participants in nonviolence, media literacy, and advocacy, leading to the launch of several impactful small-scale initiatives focused on protecting vulnerable groups, raising awareness, and advocating for their rights and safety.