The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) is conducting a series of training sessions for young men and women preparing for marriage. This training is part of the project “Working for Gender Equality, Non-Discrimination, Promoting Civil Society and Youth Empowerment,” funded by Terre des Hommes-Switzerland. The project aims to contribute to preventing gender-based violence and increasing access to justice and comprehensive protection for women and girls survivors of gender-based violence in the Gaza Strip.

The project coordinator, Ms. Samah Al-Qishawi, indicated that the center is targeting (100) engaged individuals (50 men, 50 women), divided into (5) groups across the five governorates of the Gaza Strip. She explained that these training sessions are being conducted in cooperation with local non-governmental organizations.

She added that each group receives intensive training over (5) consecutive days, for (3) hours per day, on a number of different topics related to raising awareness among engaged couples about “how to build a stable and safe marriage,” including the legal rights and obligations between spouses, the psychological and social characteristics between spouses, sexual and reproductive health, family economic planning, and the concept of protection and gender-based violence.

She clarified that the aim of the training is to contribute to cultural and societal change towards a better future for marital relationships between young men and women based on mutual respect, in order to reduce family problems that cause violence between spouses. The training also aims to spread awareness among engaged couples, newlyweds, and those of marriageable age about their rights and obligations in all aspects of marital life, as well as sound mechanisms for dealing with the challenges that young people may face in their new lives.

She noted that the center will continue to conduct more training for the same target group (young men and women preparing for marriage) during this year, with plans to implement another (5) groups, comprising (100) individuals (50 men, 50 women) from various governorates of the Gaza Strip.