The annual United Nations-organized Gaza marathon scheduled for April 10th will not take place this year due to disagreements with local officials on the participation of women, the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees said today.

“This disappointing decision follows discussions with the authorities in Gaza who have insisted that no women should participate,” stated the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA.

Meanwhile, Danish-initiated Palestine Marathon, in Bethlehem on April 21st, now invites women to shift their marathon running to this date and event.

“Many people still believe the post of mayor is exclusively for men,” says Vera Baboun, aiming to become the first female mayor of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, and in the process shake up a society where men still make the laws and do the deals.

A new group running for municipal elections in Hebron is offering residents an alternative to politics as usual in the conservative West Bank city: Women at the helm, instead of men.
The all-female list, which is called “By Participating, We Can,” is gearing up for next month’s vote with a campaign that aims both to win at the polls and to convince voters that women can lead just as well as men.