Women's Associations

Along the varied landscape and along with the villages of the seven governorates that the trail passes through, the Palestinian Heritage Trail works with 35 women’s cooperatives in various stages of development. In addition to mapping and waymarking the trail for hikers’ recreation, The Palestinian Heritage Trail supports these women’s cooperatives, keeping in mind a two-fold goal: highlighting cultural heritage and supporting local economies.

From The Palestinian Heritage Trail’s northernmost point in Jenin through the seven governorates to Hebron, the women’s cooperatives along the trail provide both food products—such as shadeah, za’atar, yogurt, butter, pickles, and jams—and handcrafts embellished with traditional Palestinian embroidery.

The Palestinian Heritage Trail aims at activating and empowering women’s role in Palestinian society. To further support and promote their products, The Palestinian Heritage Trail staff have been visiting these women’s cooperatives to, among other activities, interview the women, observe them at work on a particular project or food production, provide trainings and develop production and promotional plans. PH Trail produced edition 1 of “Recipe booklet” that introduced the Palestinian cuisine and 19 traditional meals prepared by 19 partner women cooperative.

The Palestinian Heritage Trail continues to promote and assist the women in selling their products by providing training and seeking to understand how continued support can help them in the development of their products and enrich the life of each community of women.

The Palestinian Heritage Trail staff is proud to showcase their work and welcomes comments and questions about the work and products of those women’s cooperatives. We look forward to your support of their work.