This paper provides a policy diagnosis of the legislative framework governing women’s and youth representation in Palestinian governance institutions, at a moment when the Palestinian political system is undergoing a rare simultaneous reshaping: an institutional reform programme for the Palestinian Authority; local elections that produced a women’s representation rate of 33% in April 2026; and a new transitional governance structure for Gaza operating under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 — with only one woman among its 15 members. This gap between marginal progress in local elections and deep institutional absence at higher tiers of governance reveals that the Palestinian legislative system produces presence in the lower layers of power while entrenching exclusion at its upper echelons. Youth — among whom those under 24 constitute more than 60% of the total population, while those between 18 and 29 represent over 22% by the UN definition — remain outside any binding representative framework.
This paper is published as part of the project “Shared Vision for Democracy, Peace, and Prosperity” implemented by Pal-Think for Strategic Studies in partnership with the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem.
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