UNRWA Sulafa Embroidery Women's Empowerment Project
The Sulafa Embroidery Project, established in 1950, is UNRWA's longest-running women's empowerment initiative in Gaza. The Fair Trade certified program provides income-generating opportunities to approximately 400 refugee women from 8-9 camps through traditional Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery. Women earn an average of US$40/month in an area where unemployment exceeds 45% and many live below US$2/day. Beyond economic empowerment, the program preserves Palestinian cultural heritage - embroidery patterns reflect millennia of history and symbolize the traditional rural lifestyle largely lost after 1948. A single scarf requires 100+ hours of labor.
Palestine, Middle EastWomen EmpowermentWomen of Reproductive Age Women EmpowermentCommunity Mobilization