Violence against women comes in many different forms. One such form of
violence is sexual assaults and rape of girls and women. Sexual assault
within Palestinian society is a continuous problem that needs to be
addressed and dealt with, particularly because Palestinians continue to
live in a culture that fosters silence related to sexual assaults in the
name of honor and considers sexual matters a taboo that should not be
discussed.
Sexual violence is an on-going problem within the family, in schools, at
the workplace and in public places. Not only has there been a lack of
awareness within Palestinian society, particularly amongst children,
related to sexual assault, but the perpetrators themselves often take
advantage of the ignorance and the lack of understanding related to sexual
violence, whose victims are often girls and women.
Furthermore, the absence of sex education in school curricula represents
a constraint to the efforts to raise children’s awareness of their rights
to protect their bodies and to break the existing silence around sexual
harassment and rape.
Finally, the existing law lacks of a non-discriminatory and
equality-based approach towards girls and women which most of the times
prevents victims to be recognized by the law and the society as such.
Within this picture, the need to raise the awareness of communities with
regards to matters of sexual assault and rape, the attempt to include sex
education in schools, assist parents and teachers to identify cases of
sexual violence, as well as lobbing for changes of current laws to be based
on equality and non-discrimination, represent an urgency.
The Awareness Raising Campaign Against Sexual Assaults and Rape, supported
by UNIFEM in the oPt and implemented by the Non-Governmental Organization
Women’s Study Centre (WSC) is based on the results and recommendations of a
study conducted by a trained WSC researcher entitled “Sexual Assaults
Within the Family between Reality and Law: A Socio-Legal Study”.
The research expectedly found that the current laws of the criminal code
dealing with sexual harassment and rape need modification toward a women’s
rights-based approach.
While aware that change in law depends upon social change, laws that are
based on equality inevitably have an effect on social practices and
attitudes. Hence, as part of this campaign, activities of lobbying and
advocating on the legal level as well as raising awareness at the societal
level to assist in prevention and identification of such cases have become
part of the Campaign.
Beneficiaries
• Members of the Legislative Council
• Members of the Judiciary
• School students
• Teachers
• Parents
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Development Objectives
Community understanding of the phenomenon of sexual assault and rape
enhanced as well as efforts to include sex education in school curricula
and to modify discriminatory laws on rape and sexual assault within the
criminal code fostered.
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Immediate Objectives
Legal Objectives:
- Awareness of people working in the Judiciary sector, with particular
reference to dealing with sexual assault within families as a crime raised.
Social Objectives:
- Awareness of students in the elementary, primary and secondary stages in
10 schools, through sex education raised;
- Awareness of teachers and social workers in schools raised;
- Teachers skills on sex education and protection from sexual assault
strengthened;
- Awareness of parents on symptoms of sexual harassment amongst children
raised and the need to break the culture of silence promoted;
- Lobbing actions with school directors to employ social workers in schools
on a permanent basis implemented.