Ref: 42/2018

On Wednesday, 28 November 2018, the Women’s Unit at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) has started the first activities that coincide with the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to end Violence against women. The Unit held a legal awareness lecture on violence against women and girls, targeting 45 students from the eleventh grade at al-Ramlah Secondary School for Girls.

Mona Shawa, Head of PCHR’s Women’s Unit, opened the lecture, welcomed the students and reviewed PCHR and the Women’s Unit work. She also spoke about the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to end Violence against women. The campaign starts on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on 10 December, which marks the International Day for Human Rights. Al-Shawa explained that this campaign is an international campaign that activates at this time of the year in most countries of the world to raise awareness on violence to hear the voice of victims and hold the perpetrators accountable. Al-Shawa also stressed the importance of raising girls and high school students’ awareness of violence, its forms and causes and how to eliminate violence.

Majedah Shehahdah, Researcher at the Women’s Unit, explained the concept of violence against women and girls. She also discussed the most significant forms of violence practiced in the Palestinian society against women and girls and the reasons behind it. She also highlighted the mechanisms to reduce violence against women and girls in the Palestinian society and the importance to provide protection for them.

The female students positively interacted with the lecture’s topic and suggested some solutions to end the violence phenomenon. The students also called for holding further awareness lectures relevant to the same topic.

It should be noted that this year is the second year for Women’s Unit to target female students in secondary schools and focus on this group as part of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to end Violence against women. The Women’s Unit will hold more awareness lectures on violence in a number of secondary schools for girls in Gaza City in the coming period until the end of the campaign.