The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) concluded two training courses for empowering duty bearers in the Sharia judiciary on issues of abused women. The courses were held with the participation of a number of members of the Center’s Board of Directors, as part of the project “Improving Justice Sector Services for Abused Women in the Gaza Strip.”

Sheikh Dr. Hassan Al-Joujou, Head of the Supreme Council of the Sharia Judiciary in Gaza, thanked the Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) for its continued efforts in empowering workers in the Sharia judiciary over the past two years, stressing the importance of this role and its impact on the interests of society, particularly women.

For her part, Ms. Zeinab Al-Ghunaimi, Director of the Center, thanked the Supreme Council of the Sharia Judiciary for its continued cooperation in serving women’s issues and for honoring the Center with this fruitful partnership.

It is noted that the training targeted (36) workers in the Sharia judiciary, including judges of Sharia courts, heads of clerks’ offices, and workers in the Family Guidance Unit. It was implemented over (11) training days, totaling (49) training hours, on a number of important topics, including: “Gender-based violence, the level of legal protection – and referral pathways in the referral system for shelters, the Hayat Center system for the protection and empowerment of women and families, the guide to Sharia rulings in women’s issues, problems of enforcement of court decisions in women’s cases, reasoning and drafting of judgments in women’s cases, principles of trials in women’s cases, women’s cases, rulings and lawsuits, personal status law and family rights, mechanisms for dealing with women who approach the courts regarding family guidance sessions, and communication skills with the public.”

The participants recommended a number of recommendations related to the work of the Sharia judiciary, and a number of practical steps were agreed upon regarding the organization of work in the Sharia courts. Certificates of appreciation were distributed to the participants at the conclusion of the training sessions.

These two courses are the beginning of a series of trainings with official duty bearers. The Center will continue to implement more trainings in the coming months with the Public Prosecution, workers in the Ministry of Health, and law enforcement agencies, in order to serve the interests of women and their issues.