This year, based on recommendations of alQaws' “Palestinian Civil Society Organizations’ Attitudes on Sexual and Bodily Rights” field study, alQaws began strengthening its connections to other Palestinian civil society organizations. alQaws’ networking meetings built active partnerships and substantially increased the proportion of Palestinian society actively concerned with issues of sexuality and sexual and gender diversity. During this period, alQaws succeeded in establishing connections with more than thirty Palestinian community-based organizations (including youth, feminist, and human rights organizations). These partnerships enjoy wide geographical representation, as these civil society organizations are located throughout Palestine, including north and central in the Palestinian 48' areas and the West Bank.

Building on success, alQaws created a Training Team, designed to enhance awareness and understanding of civil society leadership and staff. The Training Unit offers skill-building interventions, information, and analytical tools for working with issues related to sexual and gender diversity.

Training courses targeted to activists and staffs were comprised of 15 academic hours over the course of multiple days. Four civil society organizations, based in Haifa, Nazareth, and Lod, sent more than 100 participants to alQaws trainings this year. A special training course in Ramallah, which included 14 participants from ten civil society organizations in Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem, also took place in June, 2014.

To enhance the impact of the Training Unit, alQaws organized a Haifa-based "Train the Trainer" course. Designed as a means to prepare alQaws activists to work with other civil society organizations, the "Train the Trainer" course involved developing skills, tools, and concepts for successfully implementing alQaws training modules. Ten activists participated in the course and learned techniques for implementing training modules in civil society organizations.

Finally, alQaws team offered six training sessions for approximately 50 participants as part of independent training series arranged by organizations working on issues of sexuality, operating support hotlines for women, and/or offering leadership development.

Click here to read alQaws' “Palestinian Civil Society Organizations’ Attitudes on Sexual and Bodily Rights” field study (Arabic only).