The continuation of feminicide in the Palestinian society has become the most serious form of violence against women and girls, repeatedly threatening the social fabric as it leads to fragmentation and insecurity within the society.
This calls for intensifying efforts exerted by government bodies, decision makers, and civil society organizations to prevent the incidence of such crimes.
In this respect, Women's Affairs Center in Gaza (WAC) restates its condemnation of the murders of women and girls, the latest of which was the murder of two Palestinian women; one from the Middle Area of Gaza Strip, who was killed by her father for no other reason but speaking to her mother; and the other was a Palestinian woman from Umm al-Fahm City, who was killed by her brother in Turkey.
According to the statistics of Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling in Ramallah (WCLAC) and the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), (10) cases of murder and suicide of women and girls on the pretext of protecting the family honor (honor killing) were recorded in the Gaza Strip in 2018, while (16) and (11) cases were documented in 2017, and 2016 respectively.
WAC stresses that the crimes committed against Palestinian women must be combated with decisiveness and that the rights of women and girls must be protected, as guaranteed by divine laws and international laws.
Providing protection for women and girls must be a collective responsibility of formal and informal organizations and bodies to act as a deterrent to all perpetrators who abuse women or take their lives.
Therefore, WAC calls upon duty-bearers to use the maximum punishment against perpetrators and expedite the implementation of measures taken against these perpetrators. It also calls for the immediate adoption of Family Protection Law and the harmonization of laws and legislations with the provisions of International Conventions and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
WAC also emphasizes the need to raise the awareness of the Palestinian society on the hazards of violence against women through the media by addressing and sensitizing the public opinion on the gravity of these crimes as well as working to pressure the decision makers to take serious actions to eliminate this phenomenon.