Ref: 05/2022

Date: 27 February 2022

On Sunday, 2 February 2022, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded a training course on “Women’s Rights; Intervention and Protection Mechanisms to Combat Violence against Women,” with the participation of 20 students from the Faculty of  Medicine at al-Azhar University and in coordination with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations in Palestine. The 20-hour training course was held over the course of 4 days from 23 to 27 February 2022 in Gaza City.

The training program included many topics in the field of human rights and women’s rights in particular and Personal Status Law, in addition to issues relevant to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and means of intervention and providing legal protection for women who are victims of violence.

At the end of the course, PCHR organized a closing ceremony where Abdul Halim Abu Samra, Director of PCHR’s Training Unit, clarified that this course  is  part of a series of training courses aimed at disseminating concepts of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular. He also emphasized that PCHR has attached great importance to training and raising awareness of the Medicine Faculty students in the Palestinian universities to improve their knowledge in human rights. Additionally, he pointed out that health care providers should  know what to do when a woman reported that she was subjected to violence and how to deal with violence cases against women.

For his part, Dr. Mohammed Zoghbor, Medicine Faculty’s Dean at al-Azhar University in Gaza, thanked and appreciated PCHR’s efforts to hold this training course. He indicated that  violence phenomenon, especially violence against women, has serious implications for the cohesion of the family in particular and the social fabric in general. He added that healthcare system and medical personnel are an essential part of resolving the problem of violence against women, stressing the importance of  transferring what they learned to their peers and their important role in the future as doctors and activists contributing to enhancing human rights, particularly the health rights of women, and to apply it in their life and workplaces, and to be pioneers of such ethics in order to improve health services in Palestinian society.

Medical student Hamza ‘Abed, Head of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations in Palestine, praised the leading role of PCHR in disseminating the human rights culture as PCHR was mainly behind establishing the Peace and Human Rights Committee under the Federation’s umbrella.  He also appreciated PCHR’s effective contribution in raising the Federation students’ awareness and way to the establishment of this committee.  He also stressed PCHR’s role in helping them to improve their theoretical knowledge and impart scientific and practical skills in human rights.

At the end of the ceremony, all participants received certificates.