This article was originally published by the Ma'an News Agency and is republished with permission.

De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh announced Tuesday that his government intends to appoint a female minister to head a Women's Affairs Ministry in the Gaza Strip.

"The government is planning to appoint a number of female ministers to better include them in the decision-making process," Haniyeh told attendees at an event honoring women in the workforce in Gaza City.

"We are a national government, based on Islamic principles, and we call on women to be more involved in the parliament, municipalities, and ministries. We are proud of this for this is a woman's right," he added, speaking at the Palestinian Legislative Council building.

Haniyeh said the Gaza government will place more importance on women's issues, and giving their concerns more attention.

The announcement came a day after Palestinian women marked International Women's Day, taking part in rallies and other events throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.