Today, The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) presented the findings of a research study on “The Needs of Divorced Women,” part of the “Women Forward” project funded by the German Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Researcher Rima Al-Hajj Abed stated that the study was prompted by the divorce rate in the Gaza Strip, which, according to Sharia court statistics, has reached 15% of the marriage rate. This is a significant figure in a region facing difficult conditions. While numerous studies have examined the causes of divorce, no prior study in the Gaza Strip has addressed the problems and needs of divorced women. Therefore, the study aims to identify the main factors leading to the infringement of the rights of this group of women, the extent to which they are subjected to domestic and social violence, and the scope of this phenomenon and the suffering it causes divorced women. This understanding is crucial for developing appropriate solutions to reduce the problem, empower divorced women to obtain their legal and civil rights, and enable them to participate more effectively in various areas of community development.

She added that the study monitored the conditions of divorced women in terms of their legal, financial, social, and psychological status.

For her part, the director of the center, legal researcher Zeinab Al-Ghunaimi, welcomed the institutions and stakeholders who attended the workshop to discuss these findings. She pointed out that the project seeks to support divorced women, especially young women, and reintegrate them into society. It also aims to create a permanent forum for divorced women that will continue to operate within a “woman-to-woman” program inside the forum, to enhance the self-confidence and self-esteem of divorced women, and to raise legal awareness among divorced women to empower them to protect their rights. Furthermore, the project aims to defend the rights of divorced women before national courts and solve their legal problems through the center’s legal advice unit.

In addition to assisting in raising the level of scientific and professional awareness and skills of divorced women, in cooperation with NGOs working in this field, the project will help create job opportunities for a number of them to alleviate poverty and contribute to raising public awareness towards the recognition of women’s rights equal to men’s rights in family issues.