Ref: 49/2021

Date: 19 September 2021

On Thursday, 19 September 2021, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded a training course on “Women’s Rights and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Intervention and Protection Mechanisms”, with the participation of 21 women working at al-Aman Shelter of Social Development Ministry in Gaza. The 20-hour training course was held over the course of five consecutive days, from 12 – 16 September 2021.

The training program addressed various issues that correspond to the needs of the targeted group: general human rights concepts, women’s rights in particular; GBV, its forms, causes and 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; 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 the Training Unit at PCHR, emphasized that this training course comes in light of the continuous cooperation between PCHR and al-Aman Shelter, which aims to enhance and develop their knowledge of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular, in addition to providing them with interventions’ skills and mechanisms to deal with violence survivors’ cases during their work. Abu Samra emphasized that violence practiced against women is an international issue which poses a serious threat at the security and stability of the family, society and the country, stressing on the women’s role in building and developing society, as the society could never enjoy human rights while women who constitute half of it are excluded and exposed to degrading practices.

Mona al-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 society, providing legal aid for both women’s organizations and women. Al-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.

Suhad Qanita, Director of al-Aman Shelter, praised the training and appreciated PCHR’s efforts to organize such courses, stressing their importance, particularly for the female workers in al-Aman Shelter as they directly deal with women who are victims of violence. She added that the training course shed light on several subjects that women working at al-Aman Shelter need to deal with women who subjected to violence, as the course enabled them to enhance and develop their capacities and skills in a way that will reflect positively on improving their attitudes in dealing with female victims of violence.

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