RAMALLAH, March 8, 2009 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said that 55.4% of the women above the age of 15 are currently married.

By the end of 2008, the estimated population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) reached 3.88 million, 1.97 million of which are males and 1.91 million are females. The life expectancy in the OPT reached 70.2 years for males and 73.0 years for females.

“The results of the labor force survey in 2008,” said a press release issued, Sunday by the PCBS, “showed that 55.4% of the women aged 15 and above are currently married, 6.4% are widows, 1.2% are divorced, 0.3% are separated from their husbands and 36.8% were never married.

Women’s education is one of the most important social rights that lead to equity between males and females towards sustainable development. In 2008, the percentage of females aged 15 years and above, who are enrolled in education is 23.7% versus 21.8% for males.

The female labor force participation rate for females in the OPT reached 15.2% compared with 66.8% for males. Unemployment rate for females reached 23.8% compared with 26.5% for males.