For decades, Palestinian women have always
been an integral part of the Palestinian society at different social, economic
and political levels and have been striving at all times alongside Palestinian
men; from confronting the Israeli occupation to facing daily life challenges.
The Palestinian Association for Human
Rights (Witness) indicates that the Palestinian women situation hasn’t changed
since many years in all their places of residence. Representing 49% of the
Palestinian population, nearly the half, the Palestinian women still suffers
from the occupation’s violations of killing, arresting, and house demolishing. In
2022, 172 Palestinian women were arrested, and the occupation forces had
detained 29 until the end of 2022, including two underage and two female
prisoners under administrative detention, while 18 were killed during 2022, and
one woman from the beginning of 2023 to date.
In Lebanon, (Witness) states in its annual
report of year 2022 that Palestinian women, representing 49.6% of the
Palestinian society, still live similar socioeconomic conditions like previous
years, in camps that lack minimal elements and basic services for a dignified
human life, in addition to deprivation of civil, social and economic rights
because of the Lebanese laws.
What adds insult to injury is that
Palestinian women are also deprived of legal personality, the right to work and
right to property.
In this context, the Palestinian
Association for Human Rights (Witness) affirms the women’s right to special
care that protects their basic rights stipulated in international treaties and
conventions. They have the right to
legal personality, and to be given all their human rights, the most important
of which are the right to life, the right to health care, the right to obtain
basic needs, and the right to guarantee their social, economic and legal
rights.
Congratulating the women all over the world
and the Palestinian women in particular, we at the Palestinian Institution for
Human Rights (Witness) support the rights of Palestinian women in all fields
and in all places of their presence, and we call for the following:
·
To form an
international commission of inquiry on the Israeli violations against women and
children in the occupied Palestinian territories.
·
To implement
conventions in this regard , particularly those stressing on women’s rights.
·
To respect
the rules of the International Law and protect vulnerable groups including
women.
·
International
community to adhere to its responsibility through adequate support for UNRWA to
carry out its duties towards the Palestinian refugees.
·
Countries
hosting refugees to provide protection for women and give them their rights in
accordance with international laws.
Beirut 08/03/2023
Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness)