Ref: 29/2020Date: 13 July 2020
On 12 July 2020, the Women’s Rights Unit at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded a 25-hours training course on “intervention and legal protection mechanisms to combat gender based violence (GBV)” for the female staff at the Social Affairs Ministry’s al-Aman Shelter for GBV victims in the Gaza Strip.. The 5-day training course was held from 06 – 12 June 2020 and attended by 22 of al-Aman Shelter’s staff.
This training course is part of PCHR’s established relations withal-Aman Shelter, as the Centre has invested strategically in building coordination with the shelter and the capacity of its staff on women’s rights and GBV issues; as well as, intervention and legal protection mechanisms, and providing the necessary support and aid to women who are victims of violence.
The training program addressed various issues that correspond to the needs of the targeted group: general human rights concepts, women’s rights in particular; gender-based violence, its forms and causes, ways of dealing with it; the mechanisms of intervention and legal protection for women who are victims of violence; Palestinian legislations and their role in protecting women; the national intervention system for victims of violence; rights-based approach;; the family protection bill and the most important comments on it.
At the end of the course, PCHR organized a closing ceremony, where Abdul Halim Abu Samra, Head of PCHR’s Training Unit, confirmed that violence against women is a global issue which threatens the security and stability of families, society and the state, stressing women’s role in building and developing society. Thus, it is not possible to talk about a society that enjoys human rights while women are exposed to practices that degrade their dignity.
In her speech, Mona Shawwa, Head of PCHR’s Women’s Rights Unit, reiterated that PCHR, was pioneering in establishing a unit specialized in disseminating and enhancing women’s rights in the Palestinian society, providing legal aid for both women’s organizations and women. Shawwa shed a light on Palestinian women’s reality as they suffer multiple forms of violence practiced against them by both the occupation and society. She added that this training course’s purpose is to raise participants’ awareness and capacities in responding to violence cases and on the mechanisms available for help, intervention and protection, to achieve a cohesive society that rejects all forms of violence.
At the end of the course, Hanadi Skaik, Director of al-Aman Shelter, praised the training course and thanked PCHR’s efforts to organize such courses, stressing their importance, particularly for the female workers in al-Aman Shelter who deal with the female victims of violence. She added that the training course highlighted several important subjects relevant to working with victims, that will reflect positively on staff’s response to victims and the services they provide.
At the end of the ceremony, all participants received certificates.
