Ref: 167/2007
Date: 25 November 2007
Time: 08:00 GMT
On the Occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women:
“Palestinian Women Paying Heavy Price up to Losing their Right to Life”
The 25th of November was designated in 1999 by the UN General Assembly as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This designation came as part of the efforts aimed at curbing the phenomenon of violence against women, and to encourage States to take the necessary action against this phenomenon.
This year, this international day comes around with the continued suffering of Palestinian women as a result of various forms of violence perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and society. For decades, Palestinian women have been subject to Israeli measures that deprived them of many of their rights in a manner that can only be described as violence. Women have been subject to killing or the killing of their husbands, children, and other family members. In addition, they have been victims of house demolition and recurrent uprooting. Women have been detained, imprisoned, and subjected to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. Their movement has been restricted, with ill and pregnant women obstructed from reaching healthcare facilities, resulting in the death of many women.
Over the past 12 months, the situation of Palestinian women deteriorated further, especially in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the intensification of Israeli closure measures against the territory since June 2007. This closure coincides with the international sanctions against the Palestinian people imposed after the parliamentary elections of January 2006. Women are subject to the severe restrictions on movement in and out of the Strip. In addition, they suffer the consequences of severe shortages of basic needs due to restrictions on the movement of goods.
PCHR’s statistics indicate that 12 female patients died as a result of the closure. Nine of the victims passed away on the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing, which has been sealed. And three passed away inside the Gaza Strip as a result of lack of adequate medical care and denial of access to this care outside the Strip. In addition, two women were killed by IOF military action in the Gaza Strip, putting the total number of female victims of Israeli occupation at 14 since the start of 2007.
On the internal front, violence against women continued in Palestinian society. Stemming from discrimination, women are facing family, physical, psychological, and legal violence.
The Center’s statistics indicate that 48 Palestinian women have been killed in internal clashes and security chaos incidents. Among them are 12 women killed in what is termed as “honor killings.” Eleven women were killed during the last round of internal clashes from 7-14 June that culminated with the Hamas takeover of the Strip.
In light of the continued denial of women’s rights by the violence of IOF and society, PCHR expresses deep concern over the continued suffering of Palestinian women, who are paying a heavy price that in many instances reaches paying with their lives.
In light of the suffering of Palestinian women, PCHR calls for:
– The importance of intervention by the international community to curb Israeli violations, which have a catastrophic effect on the Palestinian people as a whole and women in particular, especially the policy of collective punishment of the civilian population that deprives them of the rights protected by International Law and International Humanitarian Law.
– The unification of local efforts to curb violence against women in Palestinian society, which is a flagrant violation of women’s human rights;
– The importance of putting an end to all forms of security chaos and misuse of weapons by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA); and
– The need to classify “honor killings” as a form of the outlawed extra-judicial execution, which is a serious violation of the right to life; and the need for the PNA to take the necessary steps to combat this crime by pursuing its perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
