NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza- The Center for Women's Legal Research &Counseling and Protection (CWLRCP) is an independent nonprofit center established in Gaza in 2005 by a group of lawyers and activists in all feminine, community and legal fields to protect women from violence, empower them and provide support to them.

Abeer Al-Mashharawi is a psychologist at the Hayat Center established in 2010 for the protection and empowerment of women and families, whose main goal is to protect women from gender-based violence in the Gaza Strip and enable them to reintegrate into the family and society. “The Hayat Center is a project launched in December 2010 by UN Women, the UNDP and the Center for Women’s Legal Research &Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) to provide legal, economic and social support to women and combat gender-based violence,” she told NuJINHA.

Speaking about the CWLRCP, she said, “The center was established in the Gaza Strip as an independent non-profit center by a group of lawyers, activists in all feminine, community and legal fields to achieve justice, equality and democracy in Palestinian society. The center provides legal, psychological and social support and shelters to women.”

Activities of the center in the shadow of war

“The Hayat Center has not stopped providing support to women and girls, who are victims and survivors of violence despite the war that broke out in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023,” Abeer Al-Mashharawi said, adding, “The center makes great efforts to support women and girls not only in southern Gaza but also in northern Gaza. Despite the ongoing Israeli bombardment and the lack of basic supplies, the teams of the center do their best to provide support to marginalized groups. We also provide hygiene kits to meet the personal needs of women and girls. Since October 7, 2023, we have supported more than 3,000 boys and girls, and more than 2,000 women.”

Abeer Al-Mashharawi also follows up on the conditions of displaced women and girls in shelter centers despite all the difficulties. “There is an increase in violence against women and girls in shelters. Women and girls are subjected to all forms of violence such as physical, domestic and psychological violence. The Hayat Center provides psychological support to displaced women and girls by organizing psychological therapy sessions.”

‘Women suffer from the lack of privacy’

Women and girls suffer from sexual harassment and they stay silent because they are afraid of being killed or labelled, Abeer Al-Mashharawi said. “This situation increases the suffering of women and girls, whether inside or outside shelters. They cannot carry out their daily activities, have no access to their basic needs, and they suffer from the lack of privacy.”

Heavy burdens of war for women and girls

Talking about the heavy burdens of war for the women and girls in Gaza, she said, “The burden of this war has fallen heavily on the women and girls in Gaza. They also suffer from deteriorating living conditions in shelters. The Hayat Center keeps providing support to them by organizing awareness-raising workshops. Our legal and psychological teams help women and girls overcome the psychological and social problems faced by them.”

‘Our teams keep working to provide support’

The teams of the Center for Women's Legal Research &Counseling and Protection and the Hayat Center face many challenges while providing services to displaced women and girls. “One of the challenges is the lack of financial and logistical resources. Despite all the challenges, our teams keep working to provide support and assistance to the marginalized groups.”