The Occupied Palestinian Territory has faced a significant gender challenge, reflected by the enormous disparity in employment and asset ownership among women and men. In 2012, the percentage of women's participation in the work force was 17.4%, against 69.1% registered in the same year for men. Women’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in the region, and the entrepreneurship rate is amongst the lowest in the world. This situation has reinforced the need to economically empower women and help them overcome existing barriers and constraints. The joint programme has aimed to enhance the competitiveness of women, help them own and/run MSME’s, including cooperatives and female business focusing on food production and processing as well as manufacturing of cultural and traditional products.

The SDG Fund programme has been entirely focused on women-owned businesses, either start-ups or existing ones, in order to enable them increase their incomes and become self-sustaining. The approach is based on positive discrimination in favor of women's economic empowerment. It targets women in 4 key sectors: agriculture, services, textile and clothing, and interior design.

UN agencies: UN Women, FAO and ITC

National partners: Government ministries, the Chambers of Commerce, women’s cooperatives and private companies.