RAMALLAH, May 1, 2026 (WAFA) – The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) said that Palestinian women workers are facing one of the harshest phases of exploitation and marginalization amid the ongoing aggression and blockade imposed on the Palestinian people, as occupation policies intersect with discrimination against women workers, threatening their right to decent work.

In a statement issued on Friday, marking International Workers’ Day, which falls annually on May 1, the Union said that estimates indicate that Palestinian women's participation in the labor market remains low, ranking among the lowest globally at no more than 19 percent.

It said that unemployment rates are particularly high among female university graduates. Women workers also face low wages, a lack of social protection, and weak representation in trade union structures and economic decision-making positions.

It affirmed that the occupation bears primary responsibility for the destruction of the Palestinian economy and its growing dependency on the Israeli economy through economic linkage, as well as through the imposition of blockade and closures.

The Union called on trade unions and institutions to enhance women’s representation in decision-making positions and to monitor working conditions, urging efforts to preserve the dignity of women workers as an integral part of the dignity of the Palestinian people.

It emphasized that the struggle for economic and social rights is an essential part of the broader struggle for freedom.

T.R.