ActionAid Palestine supports its partner, the Palestinian Women’s Development Studies Association, in implementing awareness-raising activities targeting displaced women and girls to address the risks of sexual violence and gender-based violence in emergency settings. These sessions targeted women in the central areas of the Gaza Strip through the project “Strengthening the Leadership and Influence of Palestinian Youth, Especially Young Women, for Resilient, Just, and Green Communities,” funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
These sessions are part of broader efforts to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Gaza by strengthening women’s leadership, expanding protection services, and supporting civil society initiatives led by women and youth amid the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis.
These activities contribute to enhancing women’s participation in community-based protection initiatives and raising awareness about the prevention of sexual exploitation, while also strengthening resilience and preserving the dignity of displaced women affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Supporting awareness on sexual violence against displaced women is considered a key intervention linked to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, particularly in conflict and displacement contexts where the risks of violence, exploitation, and lack of protection are heightened.
Through its partnerships with women-led organizations, ActionAid Palestine works to deliver awareness sessions, psychosocial support activities, and safe spaces for women within displacement centers. These efforts aim to enhance women’s knowledge of their rights, protection mechanisms, confidentiality principles, reporting pathways, and the services available to survivors of violence. Activities include conducting safe and gender-sensitive awareness sessions on the various forms of gender-based violence and sexual violence, as well as their psychological, social, and legal impacts. They also introduce women to psychosocial support services, legal referral mechanisms, and community-based protection systems.
These activities are directly linked to the pillars of UNSCR 1325, particularly the Protection Pillar, which calls for safeguarding women and girls from all forms of gender-based violence during conflicts, and the Participation Pillar, which emphasizes the importance of involving women in the design and implementation of protection responses within their communities. Furthermore, these programs strengthen women’s ability to access information and services, help break the silence and fear associated with sexual violence, and promote a safer and more dignified environment for displaced women. Through these efforts, women become not only beneficiaries of protection but also active partners in building community-based protection mechanisms, response systems, and social cohesion during times of crisis.
About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with more than 41 million people across over 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a world founded on justice and sustainability, where everyone enjoys a life of dignity, freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. Our work focuses on achieving social justice, gender equality, and eradicating poverty.
ActionAid began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, grounded in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. In Palestine, ActionAid implements various programmes through engagement with Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women. We aim to empower women and young people, enhance their effective civic and political participation, deepen their understanding of their rights, and mobilize them to engage in collective action to address rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. Additionally, we work to strengthen their leadership capacities and support them in practicing active citizenship by holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable.
For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy coordinator – ActionAid Palestine