The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) conducted a community meeting today as part of the “Legal Protection for Women” project, funded by the Rule of Law Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – Justice and Security for the Palestinian People (2014-2017) – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ms. Zeinab Al-Ghunaimi, Director of the Center, welcomed attendees from civil society, women’s, and human rights organizations, emphasizing the need to work on simplifying divorce procedures in Sharia courts due to the injustice women face at the hands of men, which drives them to end the relationship and forfeit their rights.

Similarly, Judge Salah Hashish, a judge in the Sharia Court, spoke about facilitating divorce procedures in Sharia courts.

For her part, the project coordinator, Ms. Wafaa Helles, presented the project’s objectives and all the activities proposed to be implemented within it, explaining that the main goal behind the project’s implementation is to contribute to promoting women’s rights and gender equality in the Gaza Strip.

Participants at the meeting recommended the need to expand efforts to spread awareness about women’s rights, especially for young newly married couples, in addition to continuing work on approving and implementing a Khula law in Sharia courts, and implementing a campaign to facilitate divorce procedures in Sharia courts.