Launch of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign in Palestine
Date:
As of today, and under this year’s theme of ‘Protection is a Path not a Slogan’, local and international partners in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign in Palestine. Along with raising awareness on violence against women and girls, the campaign calls for action and advocacy both locally and globally for the elimination and prevention of violence through knowledge exchange and innovation.
In Palestine, women make up almost half of the population. The 2019 survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) revealed that 59.3 percent of ever married women and girls (aged 15 to 64) are subjected to violence by their husbands. The survey indicated that the highest rates of violence (66.9 percent) against ever married women by their husbands were found to be among 20 to 24-year-olds.
The survey also indicated that domestic violence started young, where more than half of ever married girls and young women aged between 15 to 19-year-old have been exposed to violence by their husbands. In the Gaza Strip, a higher number of women and girls are subjected to violence by their husbands at 70.4 percent compared to 52.3 percent in the West Bank. Psychological violence is the most common type of violence, affecting 57.2 percent of women and girls in Palestine.
The orange-coloured campaign aims at supporting survivors of violence in their access to services, as well as engaging individuals and other national and international actors in combating gender-based violence against women and girls, as well as breaking the silence and reducing the stigma around it, with a special focus on engaging youth in these efforts.
Through its key messages, the campaign calls for the prevention and protection of women and girls from all forms of violence, the endorsement of the Family Protection Bill, and provision of due diligence for all, including women human rights defenders and Palestinian female journalists. The campaign’s messages also focus on advocacy to influence the government to adopt a legal protection framework ensuring women and girls’ protection from any forms of violence.
The solidarity and coordination among the campaign’s various partners each year reaffirms that we are all stronger together. This campaign reiterates the partners’ commitment to working throughout the year to end violence against women and girls in Palestine and bring about needed changes to prevent and protect women. The campaign calls for greater involvement by all segments of society in efforts to combat gender-based violence, especially against women and girls.
This year, more than 90 partners, including Palestinian civil society organizations, Palestinian cultural organizations, the private sector, international non-governmental organizations, international partners, and United Nations agencies demonstrate the joint efforts and solidarity for the global movement to address all forms of violence against women and girls. Other actors also join these efforts, including a group of youth changemakers, human and women rights defenders and activists, media partners, gender equality champions, and the academia.
The campaign begins on 25 November 2022, which marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December 2022, which marks the Human Rights Day. It will include a set of partner-coordinated joint activities and materials that will be published on social media platforms, in addition to daily events such as artistic and theatrical shows, radio and television episodes, workshops, seminars, and training sessions, among others.
For more information, follow the campaign’s page on Facebook: @16DaysPal