SHAMS centerhighly condemns the vicious violations the Israeli forces practice against Palestinian women. These violations embody the imperial, racist and superior mentality that over the years, the Palestinian woman has been exposed to the cruelest types of injustice, violence and helplessness. In in 2021, (72) women and girls were martyred in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that (64) women and girls were martyred in Gaza Strip during the invasion of May, 2021.
This continued to the extent that Gaza is under unparalleled siege that affected life in Gaza where women live a difficult life. Also, the center condemns the Israeli violation against the Palestinian women prisoners in the Israeli jails that (36) prisoners have been living difficult situations including medical negligence. In doing so, they disrespect the International Law and the resolutions of the UN including resolution 45/111 which stresses that all prisoners should be treated with dignity.
SHAMS Center Calls for the cooperation of all Palestinians to support women in the local elections especially lists led by women including all the stages of the electoral process. Also, it urges the Palestinian mass media to support women assuring their right to participate in the elections and show their abilities in all aspects of life based on their participation in the society with men side by side without considering a battle between men and women.
What is required from mass media is to work hard to change the stereotype of women highlighting their role as an active, visionary and thoughtful citizens who can achieve their goals politically, economically, socially and culturally. In other words, it is a quest to change the common social impression about women by awareness- raising campaigns in order to encourage men and women to elect women. This is done by explaining the concepts of democracy and the importance of women participation in decision- making positions. Finally, it is imperative to change the attitudes concerning women participation, their role, rights and the traditional distribution of roles in the family and society assuring gender equality through mass media.
SHAMS Center stresses that women participation to reach the Legislative Council, local committees, labor association, chambers of commerce and students’ councils is a national and social necessity since women can defend on half of the society. Despite the early entry of women in the organizational and political field, they are disappointed from the way official Palestinian mass media deals with their issues and status in the Palestinian society. Consequently, women find themselves out of politics since the political system deals with women considering them executive and alternative tools were harnessed during the electoral campaign to mobilize the public and collect the voices.
Shams Center stresses that today’s issue is building a democratic Palestinian society confirming the role of the women in all aspects of life especially politics. Also, activating women’s participation in decision- making process at all levels is a recognition of the partnership and the vital role of Palestinian women.
Furthermore, this means standing firmly against all the obstacles preventing the participation of women in decision-making process. This means that there is a suitable environment for ending the state of isolation, dominance and exclusion of women in the Palestinian society.
Despite some Palestinian rules confirmed the participation of women in decision-making process in the legislative council or local committees’ elections, these cases are few and need to be increased. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, women’s participation in decision- making positions is still limited compared to men. In fact, data showed that the percentages of women representation are (5%) of the members of the Palestinian Central Council, (11%) of the member of the Palestinian National Council and (91%) of the heads of the registered associations in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor are men compared to (9%) are women. In terms of the chambers of commerce (96%) of the members are men while only (4%) are women.
SHAMS Center appreciates the decision of the Palestinian government on the 1st of March, 2022 stating increasing period of the maternity leave to (14) weeks instead of (10) weeks. Similarly, the center calls the government to take more decisions and policies in order to enhance women’s presence in the public life including harmonization of Palestinian legislations with related international agreements.
Also, abolition all the discriminative laws and enactment new laws to protect women such as the law of protecting women from domestic violence and the Palestinian law of Civil Status Law.
SHAMS Center Call the international governmental organization and non-governmental organizations in the world especially the ones related to women to condemn the violations and practices of Israel against Palestinian women. Also, it is necessary to strategize a plan to protect Palestinian women from the imperial Israeli regime offering them protection and empowerment. This is done to enable them to address the international community internationally and regionally to give them their rights by working hard to end the Israeli occupation and brining war criminals to justice.
The End