Progress Amid Resistance

380 WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAlegislation that would improve the status of women. However, existing po -litical conditions have made it impossible for the ministry to fulfill its mission.Since the Hamas electoral victory in 2006, four different ministershave led the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, 93 and it has not been publiclyactive. 94 Its strategic plan of 2006 remains to be implemented, and asidefrom holding a conference on violence against women and participatingwith women’s organizations in proposing legislative amendments, theministry has registered few accomplishments.Local elections were held in the Palestinian territories between 2004and 2005, marking the first such voting since 1976 and improving women’sability to participate in civic issues and influence local policies. Theelection process began in December 2004 and was intended to continue,region by region, through five rounds. On December 1, 2004, after tirelesslobbying by women’s rights organizations, the PLC passed a quota lawthat reserved two seats for women in every municipal or village council.Following the quota’s adoption, the number of female candidates jumpedfrom 56 to 152 in a matter of days, 95 and 73 seats (roughly 17 percent ofthe total) were won by women in the first round, held in December 2004and January 2005. 96 The second round was held in May 2005, and womengained 165 of 917 seats (18 percent); 103 of those women won outrightand 62 won thanks to the quota. 97 Many of these candidates were trainedby women’s organizations on campaigning and advocacy skills.Adding to this momentum, the Local Councils Election Law (No. 10 of2005) was adopted on August 13, 2005, even though the election roundshad already begun. 98 Article 17 of the law established another gender-basedquota system, reserving the minimum of two seats for women in local councilswith up to 13 members, and requiring one female candidate to be placedamong the first five names and a second among the following five names onparty lists. For larger councils, party lists had to include a woman among thenext five names as well. The third and fourth rounds of local elections wereheld in September and December 2005, 99 but plans for the fifth and finalround were interrupted by the strife that broke out after Hamas’s PLC victory.Nevertheless, by this time women had made their mark.Women and men are generally free to assemble peacefully within thePA-administered areas, so long as they avoid Israeli checkpoints. Article26(5) of the Basic Law guarantees the right to conduct public meetings,processions, and assemblies within the limits of law. Women arealso entitled to free expression under Article 19 of the Basic Law, while