Today, The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP), the Women’s Affairs Center, and the Justice for Change Coalition organized a women’s demonstration in the Unknown Soldier Square, marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Approximately 300 women from across the Gaza Strip governorates, along with directors and representatives of civil and women’s organizations, participated in the demonstration. Zainab Al-Ghunaimi, Director of The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP), delivered a statement saying: “The continued phenomenon of violence against women because of their gender, simply for being female, in our Palestinian society is a recurring issue that still poses a serious threat to society as a whole. The year 2013 witnessed a clear increase in the prevalence of violence in general due to the deteriorating political, security, and economic conditions and the increasing severity of poverty and unemployment. This has exacerbated family disputes and quarrels, reaching the point of using firearms and sharp instruments, which has deprived women of the right to life. The publicly announced number of women killed reached about 26, including 9 women and girls from the Gaza Strip, whether they were intentionally killed under the pretext of defending honor, or their deaths were recorded as suicide or death under mysterious circumstances, all of which carry criminal suspicion, in addition to the forms of injury and physical harm suffered by large numbers of women as a result of beatings, and ending with psychological harm, threats, belittling women’s dignity, and exploitation, which most women are subjected to.”

The participating organizations called on political forces, factions, and parties to reject disputes and overcome the state of internal division so that our society can recover and the legislative, executive, and judicial arms of the authority can assume their responsibilities in eliminating violence and protecting society, both men and women. She clarified that protecting women from violence requires the creation of new laws that give women their full rights and provide them with protection and preserve their dignity, foremost among which are the Penal Code and Personal Status Laws. The ruling authority must implement the laws and punish those who commit violence against women and expedite the disclosure of the circumstances of crimes committed against women. It is no longer acceptable to close crime files, so that women can feel safe and secure in their homes, workplaces, or when walking on the streets of their city. Civil society organizations must work to educate women about their rights and how to defend them, and to create a conscious and independent entity for their existence. Stressing the role of audio, print and visual media to contribute to spreading a culture of respect and appreciation for women as they constitute half of society and are partners in its construction and development, and intensifying efforts to not broadcast programs or scenes that would incite violence against women. Amal Siam, Director of the Women’s Affairs Center, affirmed in her speech during the vigil the rights of women and working towards their equality and preserving their dignity, continuing: “We consider that prejudice to their rights and the practice of violence against them is prejudice and a violation of the principles of human rights and international decisions and agreements, especially the CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Universal Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and United Nations resolutions, especially Resolution 1325. Demanding the international community to stand up to its responsibilities towards ending the occupation, ending the siege, and ending the humanitarian catastrophe that will befall us and society as a result of its continuation and the implementation of international resolutions related to the protection of women, ending the occupation and the siege, and supporting the Palestinian option in an independent Palestinian state.