Minister of Woman’s Affair attends women’s rights workshop in Gaza

 

Nisaa FM: - The Women’s Unit at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) organized a workshop entitled, “Problems and Challenges in Protecting Women from Violence” as a part of a 16 Days of Activism Campaign to End Violence against Women and Girls.

The workshop took place in Lighthouse Restaurant Hall in Gaza City on December 3.

Minister of Women’s Affairs spoke on combating violence and the law

Minister of Women’s Affairs, Dr. Haifa al-Agha, talked at the workshop. She presented the ministry’s role in protecting women from violence and future of the 2011-2019 strategic plan to combat violence against women. The objective of the plan is to strengthen the rule of law for women in addition to improving the institutional mechanisms of dealing with women subject to violence for achieving a society based on the principles of equality and justice for all its individuals. The Ministry strives for abolishing Article 99 of the Penal Code, which gives the victim’s family the right to give up her right in addition to freezing or amending Article 308 of the Code, which makes it possible for a rapist to escape punishment if he marries his victim. 

PCHR’s Director, Raji Sourani, opened the workshop: “This campaign stresses the close connection between human rights and the violence against women and girls that is considered among the most prevailing and continuous human rights violations. PCHR gives special attention to women’s issues, and violence against women cannot be overlooked without focusing on women’s local status in Palestine and their suffering from the occupation.” 

Recommendations from the participants at the workshop

Also speaking at the workshop were:

• Head of PCHR’s Women’s Unit, Mona Shawa, who facilitated the workshop
• Director of UN Women Programs- Gaza Office, Heba al-Zayyan, who reviewed the role of UN Women in protecting women from violence in Palestine
• Director of the Social Affairs Ministry’s Al-Aman Shelter for Women Subject to Violence, Hanadi Skeik, who highlighted the experiences in protecting women from violence over the past 6 years since the Shelter’s establishment in 2011
• Lawyer at PCHR’s Women’s Unit, Hanan Mattar, who reviewed the system of Palestinian laws and historical context of Palestinian legislations. 

 

At the end of the workshop, the participants concluded the following recommendations:

 

Source: www.pchrgaza.org