THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Statistics Prove Gains of Arab Women (Editor's note: In ad- vance of last July's World Conference of the United nations Decade for Women in Copenhagen, the Institute of Jewish Affairs in London pre- pared several reports on the status of Arab women. The following material is taken from the institute's report on "The Conditions of Palestinian Arab Women in the Ad- nistered Territories.) Before the 1967 war, women played only a mini- mal role in the labor force in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their major economic role was within the family unit, including labor for the family farm. This has gradually changed under the Israeli administration on the West Bank (but ap- parently not in Gaza). While in 1968 the number of women in the labor force on the West Bank was 13,600, it rose to 25,700 by 1978. It is still a small fig- ure, indicating that tradi- tional habits change slowly, but it is an increase of 89.0 percent with-in a decade, while the corresponding in- crease of the total female population was only 14.6 percent (from 300,200 to 344,300). Also important is the growing participation of women in the labor force, outside agriculture. In 1968 only 4,800 women (35.3 per- cent of the female labor force) worked in other branches of the economy; by 1978 this figure had risen to 13,500 or 52.5 percent. The advance in the so- cial and economic inde- pendence of women was facilitated by the in- crease in the number of kindergartens in the Administered Territories from 3,850 in the year 1968-1968 to 11,328 in 1977-1978 (an increase of 187.9 percent). As the UN Economic Commission for Western Asia report states, "the number of women working in the field of education, nursing and welfare serv- ices is increasing." Equally, the report mentions that "the occupation authorities set up seven vocational training centers, supervised by the government, to train women in sewing and em- broidery." The same infor- mation is confirmed by Is- raeli sources which also mention training in dressmaking and cosmetics among the wide range of *eaching programs for )men. The welfare services have also increased. The number of welfare offices rose from 12 in 1967 to 28 in 1978- 1979 (133.3 percent), the number of persons em- ployed in these services rose from 150 in 1968 to 297 in 1978 (98.0 percent), while the number of families as- sisted increased more than tenfold, from 828 in 1967 to 8,412 in 1978-1979. The general standard of living in the Adminis- tered Territories is, of course, not a matter specific to women, but it is nevertheless worth mentioning that private consumption expendi- ture rose from 767 million Israeli pounds in 1968 to 222.5 million in 1978 (cal- culated in 1968 prices) — an increase of 190.1 per- cent, and that the gross domestic capital forma- tion in the same period rose from 36 million to 399 million Israeli pounds (at 1968 prices), i.e. 1008.3 percent over the period or more than 100 percent each year. According to Israeli re-' ports, "the Administration has in no way interfered with the traditional Arab education system; the only change made was the elimi- nation of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slanders and hate propaganda in the textbooks." Under the Israel adminis- tration, however, there has been a remarkable increase in educational services. The number of educational in- stitutions rose from 978 in 1967-1968 to 1,269 by 1977-1978, i.e. an increase of almost a third in 10 years. The increase in the total school population was even greater: 222,166 in 1967- 1968 to 367,609 in 1976- 1977 — a 65.4 percent in- crease in a decade. Particu- larly marked was the rise in the number of girl pupils: from 91,591 in 1967-1968 to 158,538 in 1976-1977, i.e. 73.1 percent — another indication of the improved status of women in the Ad- ministered Territories. The number of people employed in education services increased from 2,253 in 1968 to 10,803 in 1978. As of 1978, there were four teacher train- ing institutions, one in Hebron and three in Ramallah, of which one is specially for women (maintained by the UN- RWA). Where there were no uni- versities in 1967, there are now four: Bir Zeit Univer- sity (1,065 students), the Freres University in Bethlehem (519 students), the al-Najah University in Nablus (1,399 students) and the Islamic Shari'a College in Hebron (460 students). During the Israel ad- ministration, the health services expanded consid- erably. As of 1978, there were 17 hosptials on the West Bank, of which nine are run by the government, and in Gaza there are eight hospitals of which seven are governmental. Of particular revelance is the fact that a number of gynecology-obstetrics de- partments have been opened in the hospitals since 1967, notably in 1970 in Hebron and Ramallah, in 1971 in Jenin, in 1972 in Tulkarem, and in 1976 in Sheefa in the GazaStrip. By now, every governmental hospital on the West Bank has a gynecological- obstetrics department. As a result of the expan- sion of these services, the played a decisive role in the number of births in hospital fact that live births in- has increased. In 1967 it creased from 41,000 in 1968 was only 11.4 percent of all to 54,000 in 1978, an in- births; by 1978 it rose to crease of 31.4 percent (com- 41.9 percent on the West pared with a population 'in- Bank and 32.8 percent in crease of 15.8 percent only). It would be wrong to the Gaza Strip. A number of new cen- pretend that the Israel ters for the care of Administration has mothers and infants have solved the social and been opened and the old economic problems in the ones renovated and Administered Ter- supplied with modern ritories, whether for the equipment. On the West general Palestinian Arab Bank six new Maternal population or in particu- and Child Health Care lar for the women. Quite apart from political Centers have been opened, and the toal problems, there remain many aspects of the social number as of 1978 is 29. These MCH centers "have and economic situation played a decisive role in the which ought to be consider- promotion of hygiene and ably bettered. But the facts the health of pregnant cited indicate an impressive women and new-born advance during the period babies — an area which was since 1967, which is all the completely neglected until more remarkable because it 1967. They fulfilled an edu- has been achieved against cational role among future the background of ter- mothers, provided regular rorism, hostility, intimida- check-ups for them and ex- tion and, as a result, often panded vaccination among complete lack of co- operation by the people con- babies. No doubt these measures cerned. One cent sale that makes sense Friday, September 1Z, Mu ii Re-elect 23 years of Integrity, Dignity & Experience .. Re-elect Senior District Judge Clarence A. Reid Jr 46th district court Paid by the Committee to Re-Elect Judge Clarence A. 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