Palestinian Women Victim to Increasing Violence and Discrimination

by Sarah Menkedick · 2010-03-24 14:00:00 UTC
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A recent study undertaken by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces reveals that Palestinian women and girls face more threats than ever to their security and well-being.

The Israeli occupation was cited as a major risk factor by the women and girls interviewed, who said that they dreaded leaving their homes for fear of arrest or detainment, but were also terrified of staying home and being targeted in missile attacks. Many described being sexually harassed and/or intimidated by Israeli soldiers, and explained how these incidents could be shameful and damaging to their families, leading husbands and brothers to lash out.

However, the blame cannot be heaped solely on the occupation. The factionalism following Hamas' rise to power in 2007 has created power struggles both in society and within families in which women are frequently targeted, and forced women to conform to much stricter social and dress codes. Women who leave their houses without a hijab run the risk of being beaten or burned by acid, and some fear for their lives, particularly when fighting escalates between factions and their conduct is monitored with particular vigilance.

On top of these political problems, Palestinian women and girls encounter major social and cultural barriers to their well-being. Verbal and physical harassment in the street are common. There is constant gossip about women and girls' "honor" and their day-to-day activities, preventing women from leaving their houses for fear that negative talk will incite retribution from husbands and brothers.

All of this -- the occupation, the factionalism, the influence of Hamas, the social and cultural demands and restrictions placed on women, and the economic and political repression stewing in Palestinian society lead to one particularly gruesome end: violence. A study by the Palestinian Women's Information and Media Center (PWIC) revealed that 77% of Palestinian women and girls have encountered violence of some sort, 53% had experienced physical violence and 15% sexual violence.

Even more disturbingly, women and girls do not feel they have anywhere to turn to report this violence. The Geneva Centre study established that 73% of Palestinians did not know of any women's rights or humanitarian organizations working for women's rights and 94% have never sought the services of a women's organization.

What should women's rights groups and humanitarian organizations take from this?  Two things: there is a troubling dearth of aid for Palestinian women, and these women face enormous political, cultural and personal pressures which could impede them from speaking out about violence. Women's rights groups have the huge task of both making themselves available to Palestinian women and girls and helping these women and girls feel safe and protected in escaping the violence that threatens their lives.

Photo credit: Dlisbona

Sarah Menkedick is a freelance writer currently based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has spent the last five years teaching, writing and traveling on five continents. She regularly writes about women's rights.
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