Back to Contents In its 2021 Annual Operational Report, UNRWA reported: “Courses delivered at the STC [Siblin Training Centre] offered Palestine refugee youth the skills required to successfully compete in a challenging job market, especially important in the context of Lebanon’s economic crisis. UNRWA has, however, observed a decline in enrollment figures for the 2021/22 academic year, with 33 PRS students enrolled and an overall student population of 718 trainees. This may be due to the fact that more young people have been forced into leaving their studies to find unskilled work to support their families. To counter this, UNRWA will continue to reach out / promote vocational training and will also offer short-term courses that better respond to new emerging skills required in the employment market”. (Source: UNRWA, “Annual Operational Report 2021” 27 October 2022, pp. 120-121) UN women noted that changes in Lebanese law improved the rights of Palestinians in Lebanon in principles, however, “significant” gaps remain: “Changes to Lebanese law in 2005 and 2010 have, in principle, improved the rights of Palestinians in Lebanon (PRLs) to access formal employment and strengthened related social protection mechanisms, giving them partial access to the National Social Security Fund. However, significant gaps remain. ” (Source: UN Women “European Union Sector Specific Gender Analysis: An in-depth sectoral examination of feminist and women’s rights issues in Lebanon”, July 2021, p. 28) 9.8. Are there reports/evidence of additional practical challenges to employment for stateless Palestinians more than others? For example, on the basis of their legal status, gender, class, religion or disability? UN women noted that within a challenging legal context, Palestinian women are less likely [than Palestinian men] to find work: “Changes to Lebanese law in 2005 and 2010 have, in principle, improved the rights of Palestinians in Lebanon (PRLs) to access formal employment and strengthened related social protection mechanisms, giving them partial access to the National Social Security Fund. However, significant gaps remain. Within this difficult legal context for Palestinian refugees where there are limited prospects for jobs, Palestinian women are even less likely to work.” (Source: UN Women “European Union Sector Specific Gender Analysis: An in-depth sectoral examination of feminist and women’s rights issues in Lebanon”, July 2021, p. 28) The UNRWA socio-economic survey on PRS pointed out the gender disparity in employment: “One of the most striking characteristics of the PRS labour force (like that of the other populations around the Middle East) pertains to the significant difference between female and male participation. While they represent 54.2 percent of the potential working population aged 15+, women represent only 22.1 per cent of the labour force (despite higher educational levels) compared to 77.9 percent of men, which highlights the ‘economic dependency’ borne by most male breadwinners. In other words, 17.8 percent of women in that age group are economically active as employed persons or job seekers compared to 74.4 percent of men. Women’s lower participation rates are commonly attributed to a combination of factors, including “conservative social norms,” low wages, specializations that do not fit the private sector’s needs and feelings of insecurity. In that respect, being a housewife is the main reason, stated by the PRS respondents of both genders, for not being economically active (44.9 percent) well ahead of disability/illness (13.20 per cent), being retired/too old to work (11.2 per cent), being a student (9.9 per cent) and loss of hope in finding employment (9.4 per cent). Additionally, relatively fewer economically inactive women are said to be ready to work (25.1 percent of them) compared to 66.4 percent of inactive men. [...] two thirds of women are unemployed (66.6 percent) compared to less than half of men (44.1 per cent). Unemployed women also report being less currently available to work (25.1 per cent) than men (66.4 percent). They tend to look for jobs longer than men (27.8 weeks for unemployed females compared to 24.4 weeks for unemployed men).” (Source: UNRWA, “Socio-economic Survey on Palestine Refugees from Syria Living in Lebanon”, 28 April 2021, pp. 40 & 41 ) 9. Access to labour market, means of basic subsistence 102