A question of security: violence against Palestinian women and girls

How can the Palestinian Authority improve the security of women and girls?

Published by: Human Rights Watch (HRW) , 2006
Via: Eldis

This report documents the problems of domestic violence against women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). The report finds that these girls and women are often victims of violence perpetrated by family members and intimate partners and indicates that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has taken little action to seriously address these abuses. Based on interviews and the other research described the report finds that two primary obstacles stand in the way of enhanced protection against domestic violence for Palestinian women and girls:

• discriminatory laws that condone and perpetuate such violence
• the virtual absence of institutionalised policies to prevent violence, assist victims, and hold perpetrators accountable

The report recommends the following:

• the PA must commit, as a matter of urgent priority, to preventing violence against women and girls and pursuing these crimes through effective investigations and prosecutions
• the PA should also train all government employees (including police officers, doctors, governors, and forensic experts) who come into contact with victims of physical and sexual violence on how to deal with such cases appropriately and establish clear and explicit guidelines of intervention in line with international standards
• long-term work is needed to transform attitudes and beliefs about the acceptability of violence against women and girls, whether stemming from tribal customs or interpretations of religious norms, or other sources