Ref: 51/2020Date: 09 December 2020
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded 5 new training courses within “Haya Joint Programme to Eliminate Violence against Women” titled: “Awareness raising and Capacity Building of Educational Institutions’ Employees to Eliminate Violence against Women in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” The course was held in collaboration and coordination with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to train teachers and education sector staff at the UNRWA schools throughout the Gaza Strip governorates.
The 5 training courses were held from 01 November – 09 December 2020, and some the sessions were held during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV); 129 teachers, including 103 females (79%) received the training. In 2020, PCHR held a total of 15 training courses within the Haya project, targeting 390 teachers, including 260 females (66.6%).
Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Palestinian society, PCHR could not hold in-person sessions; therefore, PCHR held remote trainings via Zoom as each course (25 hours total) took 8 eight training days.
The training courses are part of PCHR’s joint project with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) through “Haya Joint Programme” funded by the Canadian Government. The project aims at developing teachers’ knowledge and teaching skills in addition to acquiring new educational skills that reduce violence against women and GBV. The training relies on modern disciplinary methods that aim at nurturing positive attitudes that foster human rights.
The training courses addressed various subjects that meet the needs of targeted groups to promote human rights concepts, especially women’s rights under international law and GBV issues; as well as GBV concepts, forms, causes and means of treatment. The training modules also covered intervention and legal protection mechanisms for women who are victims of violence, Palestinian legislations and their role in protecting women, the national intervention system for victims of violence, and the role of teachers in eliminating violence.
At the end of the courses, PCHR held a closing ceremony where Abdul Halim Abu Samrah, Head of PCHR’s Training Unit, emphasized that these training courses are part of PCHR’s years-long cooperation with UNRWA’s teaching sector. In the past few years, PCHR has organized dozens of training courses for teachers to raise their awareness on human rights and contribute to raising a generation that is fully aware of their rights and freedoms. Abu Samra also stressed teachers’ significant role in combating violence and its devastating effects on families, the educational environment, and society at large. Abu Samra highlighted the importance of disseminating the information and experience participants gained among their peers, students and families, and for them to mainstream it into their work towards the end of creating a generation against violence and a society that enjoys human rights.
Mona Shawa, Head of PCHR’s Women’s Rights Unit, and Project Manager, stressed the importance of these training courses and its targeted group, as teachers and social counselors have a paramount role in combating the culture of violence against women and girls among male and female students, and in communicating these ideas with parents. This outreach will pave the way towards future generations who believe in the principles of justice and equality between genders and reject all kinds of violence against women in our Palestinian society. Shawa pointed out that these training courses promotes the international inclination towards protecting women from violence and coincides with the “ 16 Days of Activism against GBV” campaign, that aims to raise awareness on GBV and make it an issue of public opinion, demanding protection for women and girls from violence.
Mr. Khaled Abu Safiyah, UNRWA Human Rights Monitor, praised the training program and its contribution to raising awareness and capacity building of educational institutions’ staff towards the elimination of violence against women, so they contribute to a safe, motivated and enhanced educational environment by reducing school violence, which falls under GBV. He also stressed the importance of this course as a unique addition for the staffs’ knowledge, whether for teachers or social counselors.
The participants affirmed that the course covered a variety of relevant topics and praised the trainers efficient and interactive training methods; they appreciated the quality of the topics that the courses presented which will serve to improve their skills.
The five-year HAYA Joint Programme seeks to eliminate violence against women in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. HAYA is funded by the Government of Canada and jointly implemented by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Social Development as well as other ministries and civil society organizations.
