RAFIF ESLEEM

Gaza- Palestinian women, who are subjected to all forms of violence, especially sexual harassment and blackmail, often remain silent about violence they are subjected because they fear they will be subjected to social pressure. In an interview with NuJINHA, researcher Hind Abu Nijela said, “Despite the many international and local efforts to fight gender-based violence over many years, it continues to expand and multiply in many forms, so that marginalized groups in societies such as women, children, the old and poor people are still victims of gender-based violence.”

 

‘Women have no access to decision-making positions’

“Women are subjected to violence in all spheres of life,” Hind Abu Nijela said, “The economic crisis has increased the cases of gender-based violence. Women cannot have a status in society because they face obstacles when they want to access decision-making positions. The women’s under-representation in decision-making positions also causes an increase in gender-based violence. The dominance of men in decision-making positions makes the situation of women worse.”

 

‘More awareness-raising campaigns are needed’

 Hind Abu Nijela drew attention to the silence of women victims of violence and said, “Women do not report violence against them because they fear they will be subjected to social pressure. However, their silence also increases violence against women and encourages the perpetrators. Women are subjected to violence everywhere such as at home, in public spaces, on streets and at the workplaces. More awareness-raising campaigns are needed to expose the perpetrators of violence, to fight gender-based violence. The cases of gender-based violence should not go unreported.”

‘Women pay the price of violence’

Activist Thuraya Abu Zuhri noted that many campaigns have been launched to “confront gender-based violence”. Noting that women pay the price of gender-based violence, she said, “The silence of women against gender-based violence increases the cases of violence against women. Women prefer to remain silent when they are subjected to verbal or physical harassment at their workplace because they do not want to lose their jobs due to the economic crisis. Women are also subjected to gender-based corruption. Working women are more affected by corruption than others, they are subjected to violence by their colleagues or their managers when they criticize the corruption at work. Non-working women may face corruption while paying bills, issuing some papers or completing their daily official procedures. More awareness-raising campaigns must be launched to tell women their rights. Online campaigns can reach women everywhere and teach women the mechanism of filing complaints. Women should file complaints when they are subjected to gender-based violence and corruption.”