The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
24.4 percent (20.3 percent for males and 40.4 percent for females). In the
West Bank, unemployment represented 13.1 percent (10.6 percent among
males and 23.7 percent among females). In the Gaza Strip, the unemployment rate registered 45.3 percent (39.1 percent for males and 67.4 percent
for females).2
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Budgeted appropriations for realisation of the right to work continue to fall
short of providing the cost to bring about the objectives set by relevant
strategies.
Against this backdrop, the ICHR recommends that:
Necessary measures be taken to reduce increasing unemployment, particularly in the Gaza Strip, as well as among women.
Adequate financial resources needed to achieve the goals set by the Ministry of Labour (MoL) strategies be provided.
Just and favourable conditions of work
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A national committee was established to promote pay equity and ensure
the right to equal pay for equal work. In March 2022, the Council of Ministers issued a decision, mandating the MoL to take necessary measures in
order to tighten control and guarantee gender equal pay for work of equal
value. Nevertheless, 40 percent of wage employees in the private sector
receive less than the monthly minimum wage (NIS 1,880) in Palestine, including 19 percent in the West Bank and 89 percent in Gaza Strip.3
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The government does not implement clear measures and procedures to
ensure that workers in the informal sector access their rights in accordance
with the law, particularly minimum wage and social security.
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In addition to unclear measures and procedures, the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) budgeted allocations for children are not stated. These
should aim at reducing child labour, which comprises some 3 percent of
total children in the 10-17 age group.
-
To date, a clear government policy has not been in place to combat sexual
harassment in the workplace.
2
3
PCBS. Palestinian Labour Force Survey - Annual Report: 2022
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Press Release on the current status of the Palestinian labour
force in 2022 on the occasion of the International Workers’ Day.
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