The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) held a meeting via Zoom to present and discuss the most important issues related to child custody and visitation cases under the current circumstances. This meeting was part of the “Activating Women Forward Forum” project, funded by the Heinrich Böll Foundation – Palestine and Jordan Office. The meeting was managed by Ms. Zeinab Al-Ghunaimi, Director of the Center, who welcomed the attendees, including lawyers from women’s and human rights organizations, and wished everyone safety.

A broad discussion took place among the attendees regarding the emergent obstacles represented by the non-implementation of court decisions concerning child custody, visitation, and alimony. At the end of the meeting, the following recommendations were agreed upon for joint implementation:

• The necessity of working to raise the age of child custody for divorced mothers.
• Providing independent housing for the custodial parent and the child.
• Recommending that the Sharia judiciary shorten the duration of litigation in alimony, custody, and visitation cases.
• Recommending that the Sharia judiciary hold accountable lawyers who obstruct the course of cases by presenting frivolous defenses and deliberately requesting postponements.
• Activating collection from the alimony fund in a way that guarantees the interests of women.
• Recommending that the Sharia judiciary obligate the party requesting visitation or hosting to pay the child’s accumulated alimony.
• Recommending that the Sharia judiciary hold accountable the husband who presents malicious pleadings against the wife, and assist her in filing a criminal complaint on charges of defamation or incitement.
• Strengthening the role of the police in the execution of judicial rulings.