Women With Disabilities Find Hope Through Middle East Programs

When armed conflict rages around them, Palestinian and Jordanian women with disabilities refuse to give up on building better lives.

A recent international conference in Madrid brought together organizations doing remarkable work across the Middle East. The Fundación Promoción Social gathered leaders from Palestine, Jordan, Spain, and the European Union to share stories of transformation happening on the ground.

Suzan Sahori runs Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans, an organization helping Palestinian women preserve traditional crafts while earning income. She calls these rural women "a silent force" keeping their communities alive through agriculture and craftsmanship, even while facing enormous barriers to employment.

The challenges multiply for women with disabilities. Anni Medzhagopian leads Al Hussein Society in Jordan, where women with disabilities face discrimination in education, jobs, and basic participation in their communities. Refugee women with disabilities struggle even more, as overwhelmed services and crumbling infrastructure make inclusion nearly impossible.

But her organization is making headway in refugee camps across Jordan. Programs in Azraq, Mafraq, Ramtha, and North Azraq help women with disabilities gain independence and become leaders in their communities.

The Ripple Effect

These women aren't just changing their own lives. When they gain skills and economic power, entire communities become stronger and more resilient. Development becomes more inclusive when everyone has a seat at the table.

Spain's international cooperation agency is supporting these efforts with what it calls a "transformative roadmap." The approach addresses deep inequalities from multiple angles, ensuring resources reach those who need them most.

Conference attendees shared a striking fact: all the money the world spends on international cooperation equals the cost of one F-16 fighter jet. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet first made this comparison.

Yet despite tiny budgets, these programs prove that cooperation works. The Fundación Promoción Social has spent 30 years showing how investing in women creates lasting change. Civil society groups keep pushing forward, even when conflicts make the work dangerous and difficult.

Miriam Ciscar from Spain's cooperation agency emphasized that real progress means transforming the power structures that keep women marginalized. It's not enough to offer temporary help. The goal is permanent change.

International cooperation brings more than material support. As conference participants agreed, "its very existence is in itself a factor of hope for peace."