In Palestine, divorced women are prevented from seeing their children. In addition, women are not given their personal belongings when they get divorced. M.A. is one of these divorced women. She wants to see her children once a week; however, she isn’t allowed to see them. Aya Al-Mughrabi, the legal advisor to the Press House Foundation in Gaza, drew attention to problems faced by women, “Laws should be changed to meet today’s requirements.”

NEXEM KARACA

Gaza- While the laws of Palestine don’t protect women, judges generally rule in favor of men, particularly in custody cases. Divorced women face many difficulties in getting their personal belongings and they are left helpless against financial difficulties. For these reasons, most women give up on seeking their rights or don’t know anything about their rights. One of the problems faced by divorced women is child custody. 28-year-old M.A., (she asked us to keep her name confidential) has the right to see her children once a week however their father doesn’t allow her to see her children.

“Why don’t laws and courts deliver justice?”

M.A. received a document from a court in Palestine to see her children, “Even if I received this document, I cannot see my children. I reported that to the police but they refused to help me on the ground that this is not their duty. I was very shocked by this situation. I was told I should go to court and make an urgent request,” said M.A., who applied to the court two weeks ago, “But my children’s father objected to my request with false claims. The court suspended my request for a while. I always ask myself, ‘When can I see my children? Why don’t laws and courts deliver justice?’”.

Aya Al-Mughrabi, the legal advisor to the Press House Foundation in Gaza, commented on the situation of divorced women in Palestine. “Women have to submit many documents to the courts such as marriage contract, ID cards and a document including all their belongings in the houses of their ex-husbands. If men don’t accept giving women’s belongings back, women have to apply to regular courts and demand their belongings.

“Women face financial difficulties”

Aya El-Maghraby indicated that Palestinian women face many difficulties and obstacles after filing a divorce case. “One of the most common difficulties faced by women is financial difficulties. Sharia laws are practiced in some cases due to legal deficiencies. And in Sharia laws, women have no right to ask for a divorce. For this reason, laws should be changed to meet today’s requirements.”

“NGOs should work hard”

The foundation cannot do anything for women, who have many problems with their husbands, “We can only carry out work when women are subjected to violence. We try to find a solution. We apply to the courts on behalf of women. Women have suffered from legal deficiencies. We hope that the Judicial Council will issue a circular and resolve divorce issues. NGOs should provide free legal support to women and hold workshops or seminars. They should work hard to inform women about their rights.”