Ref: 120/2009
Date: 25 November 2009
Time: 11:00 GMT
On the Anniversary of the
International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, the
Suffering of Palestinian Women Continues in the West Bank and Doubles in
the Gaza Strip
Today, 25 November, 2009, the world
celebrates the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against
Women. Adopted by the UN in 1999, this day forms part of the overall
effort to eliminate violence against women, and to urge countries to
take actions necessary to ensure women’s rights.
This year, on the International Day for
Elimination of Violence Against Women, the suffering of the Palestinian
women continues due to the actions of the Israeli Occupation Forces and
internal Palestinian violence. Palestinian women living in the Gaza
Strip in particular continue to suffer from the repercussions of the
latest Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip as these affect
living conditions, as well as from other practices by IOF, including the
illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2006.
According to PCHR's documentation, Between
25 November 2008 and 25 November 2009, 116 Palestinian women were been
killed by Israeli forces operating in the Gaza Strip. In numerous cases
Israeli forces violated the two fundamental principles of international
humanitarian law – proportionality and distinction in the use of force –
and many of these killings amounted to war crimes and grave breaches of
the Geneva Conventions.
Two major factors have emerged over the past
year impacting Palestinian women and increasing their suffering from
Israeli violations of human rights: the Israeli offensive on the Gaza
Strip and its repercussions; and the illegal Israeli blockade that has
been imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than three years.
In the course of the Israeli military
offensive on the Gaza Strip, between 27 December 2008 and 18 January
2009, 114 Palestinian women were killed. Hundreds of other women
experienced horrific tragedies that included witnessing their sons or
husbands being killed by Israeli forces, and others were forced to leave
homes that were subsequently demolished by. Such practices have added
more complications to the already deteriorating living conditions of
women, especially in light of the impossibility of reconstructing the
Gaza Strip.
Also during the period 25 November 2008 – 25
November 2009, the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by IOF led to the
death of 4 women. These victims were denied their right to travel for
advanced medical treatment outside Gaza that lacks adequate health
services and suffers from shortages of medicine and equipment. Under the
siege, Palestinian women are also deprived of access to basic needs,
including drinking water and electricity power. The siege has also
violated many of women's rights that are ensured under international
human rights instruments, including their right to life, right of
health, right education, and right to adequate living conditions.
As a result of the siege, hundreds of young
women have been denied their right of education, as their have not been
able to travel to attend universities outside the Gaza Strip. Women
have been also died their right to adequate living conditions, as Israel
has imposed severe restrictions on the flow of goods into the Gaza
Strip, causing a humanitarian crisis reflected in higher levels of
poverty and employment.
In the West Bank, the suffering of
Palestinian women have continued due to Israeli practices, including
killing, house raids and demolitions, land confiscation, arbitrary
arrests and humiliating and demeaning actions on checkpoints positioned
at the entrances of the Palestinian towns and villages. Since 25
November 2008, Israeli forces have killed 21 Palestinian civilians,
including 9 children, in the West Bank.
Israel is still imprisoning dozens of
Palestinian women, who are subject to forms of humiliating treatment
applied by Israeli prisons administrations. These practices include
maltreatment, torture, degrading treatment and bad living conditions
inside the prisons.
In relation to the Palestinian internal
situation, Palestinian women are still vulnerable to and victims of
internal violence in different contexts. According to PCHR's
documentation, since 25 November 2008, PCHR has documented the so-called
‘honor killing’ of 9 Palestinian women, 6 in the Gaza Strip and 3 in the
West bank.
In view of the deterioration of the
conditions of the Palestinian Women, denial of their rights and
continued systemic violence against them, PCHR reiterates the importance
of the role that is supposed to be played by the international community
to ensure putting an end to the cruel conditions of the Palestinian
women, and:
1)
Calls upon the
international community to fulfill its responsibilities to ensure the
reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the Israeli military offensive to
end the suffering of homeless families.
2)
calls upon
the international community to force Israel to put an end to its
violation of the Palestinian civilians’ rights, including the policy of
siege imposed on the Gaza Strip as a collective punishment that denies
the enjoyment of the Palestinian civilians, including women, of their
rights guaranteed under international humanitarian and international
human rights law.
3)
Calls upon the
Palestinian National Authority to take necessary measurements and
actions to put an end to the internal violence against women in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip, especially ‘honor’ crimes.
