ActionAid Palestine to Encourage GBV Victims and Survivors to Speak out Against GBV in Gaza in Partnership with Wefaq Association for Women and Child Care

Gaza Strip-Palestine –ActionAid Palestine (AAP) continually highlights its support to vulnerable Palestinian women affected by GBV in border and marginalized areas in Gaza Strip. AAP works in partnership with local organizations to respond to needs of those women who are affected by GBV since incidence of GBV here is exacerbated by deterioration of humanitarian, political and economic situation and power cut due to illegal blockade Israel imposes against Gaza for more than 15 years.

Following COVID-19 crisis and Israeli military escalations in 2021 and 22022, women and girls have become at a higher risk of (GBV). GBV victims and survivors need professional, specialized centers to receive those services.

This has pushed AAP to build partnership with WEFAQ association based in of Rafah in south of Gaza Strip through its different programs for more than 8 years to secure supporting marginalized women. Those women have difficult conditions preventing them from accessing justice, protection health and psychological treatment. Through AAP-WEFAQ partnership, GBV victims and survivors are provided with legal aid, case management, referral services, health services psychological support, health services, legal representation in courts, individual and group counselling, stress relief activities, advocacy and dignity kits.   

Provision of those services aim to enhance women's rights to end discrimination, increase their access to justice by providing them with legal counseling and legal representation in court and contribute to the elimination of legal and social discrimination against women. Along with those services, a range of activities are implemented to raise awareness of women on GBV issues as human rights, how to deal violence at home and how to build health and equal relationships.

Through AAP’s Partnership with WEFAQ within Humanitarian program funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA),1140 women received psychological support and legal aid during between 2018-2021. In 2022, 90 women received legal aid and 210 women received psychological support through AAP’s program of “Strengthening Palestinian young people, Particularly Young Women’s Leadership and Influence for Resilient, Just and Green Societies” that AAP started implementing during 2022 within Strategic Partnership 2 with ActionAid Denmark and it is funded by DANIDA.

The global figures of GBV indicate that there are one in three women in the world who will experience GBV throughout their lifetime, including physical or sexual abuse.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 37.5% of currently married or ever-married women (women who have been married at least once in their lives, although their current marital status may not be ‘married’) in Gaza were subjected to at least one form of violence by their husbands in 2019, including psychosocial, physical, sexual, economic and social violence.

(W which is not a real name of the woman to secure the protection and privacy of GBV survivor)

W is a woman 34-year-old woman and mother of 5 children living in one of the marginalized neighborhoods of Rafah in the south of Gaza Strip. She suffers from physical violence practiced by her husband. He who was a greedy man refusing to fulfill her basic needs. She says: “I could not endure physical and psychological violence practiced by my husband and I felt smothered. I tried to be alone and stayed at home refusing to ask support of my family who always convinced me bear that violence and stay at my husband’s house. I had endured this situation until I heard about services provided by WEFAQ. W went there and she was received at the center of WEFAQ by her case manager who briefed her about the services provided to GBV victims. Then, W agreed to receive those services and speak up against GBV. W was referred to other departments of the association to receive health services, legal support, entertainment, individual and group psychological support and counseling”.

W described how her life after receiving those services was changed. She says: “I started feeling powerful when I heard stories and experiences of other women in psychological support sessions. I had the courage to speak up against violence”.

During individual counselling session, W asked legal assistance and legal representation in courts for claiming divorce. Then she felt better and asked to stop filing case against her husband, WEFAQ team communicated with her husband and provided him with raising awareness on fighting GBV and they reached a reconciliation with him, and he pledged to respect W’s rights and she returned to her house. Her husband also expressed his apology and respect to WEFAQ association.

W says: “I feel that if I was a newborn woman. I acknowledge that psycho-social support has changed my life and relationships with my family, husband and children”. I encourage all women who are exposed to GBV to come to WEFAQ to seek support. I am new person who loves life”.

Background Information

ActionAid in Palestine (AAP) is a part of global federation working for social justice and gender equality and eradicate poverty in more than 45 countries around the world. AAP started its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian People as ActionAid believes that they should enjoy their rights to freedom, justice and self-determination. AAP implements a number of programs through its engagement with communities and women and youth groups seeking to empower them and enhance their influential civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective activism to address the protracted rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation of Palestine. AAP works simultaneously to enhance their leadership capacity and knowledge to practice their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers to account.

For more information, please contact

Riham Jafari

Coordinator of Advocacy and Communication in Palestine

Mobile:

+972 (0) 595242890

Office:

+972 (0) (2) 22 13 137

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org