Published : 28-11-2022
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) joined the global call for an end to gender-based violence under the UN Secretary-General’s 2022 UNiTE campaign: UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls.
To mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against Women and Girls, the Agency said it will be holding events across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan to highlight its commitment to end violence against women and girls.
“Palestine refugee women and girls face different and intersecting forms of marginalization, discrimination, and harm based on their gender, as Palestinians, and as refugees. These are exacerbated in crisis and emergency contexts, and by limited access to specialized support services. The prevention and elimination of violence against women is a core priority for UNRWA. The Agency is currently introducing new guidelines to provide survivor-centered, comprehensive and better integrated services in keeping with a more holistic approach,” said UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Leni Stenseth.
AGPS has documented the death of hundreds of Palestinian women and the enforced disappearance of several others in the embattled Syrian territories.
AGPS data indicates that as many as 487 Palestinian women and girls have died of war-related incidents since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.
Palestinian refugee women who died all the way through Syria’s ten-year conflict make up 16% of the overall death toll.
At the same time, AGPS has documented the secret detention of 110 Palestinian women and girls in Syria’s government prisons. AGPS believes the numbers to be far higher as scores of casualties have gone undocumented after the Syrian authorities kept their names secret. Several families have also refused to reveal their relatives’ names over retaliation concerns.
According to affidavits by ex-detainees, Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to harsh psycho-physical torture tactics in Syrian penitentiaries, including electric shocks, heavy beating using iron sticks, and sexual abuse.
Such practices represent flagrant violations of the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict of 1974, Article 5, which criminalizes all forms of torture and mistreatment against women and children.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) joined the global call for an end to gender-based violence under the UN Secretary-General’s 2022 UNiTE campaign: UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls.
To mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against Women and Girls, the Agency said it will be holding events across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan to highlight its commitment to end violence against women and girls.
“Palestine refugee women and girls face different and intersecting forms of marginalization, discrimination, and harm based on their gender, as Palestinians, and as refugees. These are exacerbated in crisis and emergency contexts, and by limited access to specialized support services. The prevention and elimination of violence against women is a core priority for UNRWA. The Agency is currently introducing new guidelines to provide survivor-centered, comprehensive and better integrated services in keeping with a more holistic approach,” said UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Leni Stenseth.
AGPS has documented the death of hundreds of Palestinian women and the enforced disappearance of several others in the embattled Syrian territories.
AGPS data indicates that as many as 487 Palestinian women and girls have died of war-related incidents since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.
Palestinian refugee women who died all the way through Syria’s ten-year conflict make up 16% of the overall death toll.
At the same time, AGPS has documented the secret detention of 110 Palestinian women and girls in Syria’s government prisons. AGPS believes the numbers to be far higher as scores of casualties have gone undocumented after the Syrian authorities kept their names secret. Several families have also refused to reveal their relatives’ names over retaliation concerns.
According to affidavits by ex-detainees, Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to harsh psycho-physical torture tactics in Syrian penitentiaries, including electric shocks, heavy beating using iron sticks, and sexual abuse.
Such practices represent flagrant violations of the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict of 1974, Article 5, which criminalizes all forms of torture and mistreatment against women and children.
