Ramallah: Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”, with support from the Government of Canada organized a consultative meeting in Ramallah about establishing a network of women’s community-based organizations in order to promote women’s access to justice.
The meeting was opened by Amal Musa from “SHAMS” Center, welcoming the female participants and explaining the role of the Center in promoting women’s access to justice in several governorates in the West Bank, indicating the purpose of establishing the network and its role in the framework of promoting women’s access to justice.
In his turn Mohammed Al-Najjar from “SHAMS” Center made a presentation addressing the basic principles of women’s access to justice and the environment in which women can access justice in terms of political, economic and social aspects, as well as the availability of Legal aid to enable them to do so.
The female participants in the workshop stated that the challenges preventing women’s access to justice are represented in having problems within the justice institutions, the weakness of the laws, the existence patriarchal culture, the lack of awareness among women about the laws and the lack of knowledge of the institutions that help women to go to the competent authorities, customs and traditions, the culture of shame, women’s inability to talk about the violations they face, as well as women’s mistrust of the judiciary and legal institutions.
The female participants recommended that organizations and associations should assume their role towards women, and amend some laws concerning women and the rule of law, to work to raise awareness of women in marginalized areas about the availability of organizations that help them to proceed to justice and competence officials, to build bridges of trust between women and the judiciary. In addition to establish an advisory council for the network, to train members of the network with regard to the legal aspect so as to be capable to assist women and guide them to organizations with the competence to bring them to justice.
At the end of the meeting, the female participants representing the various organizations participated, signed the establishment of the network. The network includes the Jericho Women’s Association, Thennaba Charitable Society for Culture, Tubas Charitable Society, the An Najda Social Society, Qarawa Bani Zaid Women’s Club Association, Abnaa’ Al Bireh Society, the Cultural Forum – Beit E’nan, Salfeet Women’s Charity Association, Union of Women’s Committees, Women’s Center of Jalazoun Camp, Qalqiliya Women’s Association, Burqeen Women’s Association, and Deir Sudan Charity Association.