Launch of 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence against Women and Girls in the occupied Palestinian territory

GAZA, 25 November 2022 - Under the theme ‘Protection is a Path not a Slogan’, local and international partners in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza launched today the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence against Women and Girls in the occupied Palestinian territory. Along with raising awareness on violence against women and girls, the campaign calls on taking action both locally and globally and advocate for addressing this issue through knowledge exchange and innovation.

The 2019 survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) revealed that 59.3 per cent of Palestinian women/girls (age 15-64) were exposed to violence by their husband. As indicated by the survey, domestic violence started young, with more than half of 15- to 19-year-old girls and young women to have been abused. The highest rates of violence (66.9 per cent) against women were found to be among 20 to 24-year-olds. Women and girls in the Gaza Strip had a higher level of exposure to violence from their husbands with an estimated 70.4 per cent compared to 52.3 per cent in the West Bank. As indicated by the survey, psychological violence is the most common type of abuse, affecting 57 per cent of women and girls.

The orange-coloured campaign aims at supporting gender-based violence survivors’ access to services and engaging girls, boys, women, men, and other actors in combating gender-based violence against women and girls, breaking the silence, and reducing the stigma on it, with a special focus on engaging youth.

In its key messages, the campaign calls for protection for women and girls from all forms of violence, the endorsement of the Family Protection Bill, and provision of due diligence for all, including women human rights defenders, and Palestinian female journalists. The campaign messages also focus on advocating with the government to adopt a legal protection framework that ensures women and girls’ protection against any forms of gender-based violence.

The solidarity and coordination among various partners during this campaign every year indicates that we are all stronger together and reaffirms our commitment to working throughout the year to end violence against women and girls in Palestine and bring the change needed. The campaign calls for greater involvement of all segments of society in efforts to combat gender-based violence, especially against women and girls.

This year, more than 90 partners, including Palestinian civil society organizations, the private sector, international non-governmental organizations, international partners, and United Nations agencies, joins efforts and show solidarity towards the global movement to address all forms of violence against women and girls. Other actors also join these efforts including a group of youth changemakers, human and women’s rights defenders, media partners, gender equality champions, women's rights activists, and academia. The campaign will run from 25 November to 10 December 2022 and will include a set of partners coordinated joint activities and materials that will be published on social media platforms, in addition to daily events such as artistic shows, radio and television episodes, workshops, seminars, training sessions, among others.

For more information, follow the campaign’s page on Facebook. @16DaysPal