The report exposes different forms of violence, in the occupied Palestinian territory, as revealed in women’s own narratives. It explores the conditions of their abuse as well as the coping strategies they use in their efforts to maintain their families’ well being, but which also compromises them due to the absence of realistic alternative options. Although women’s voices reflect the intensity and complexity of the multiple oppressions they experience, at the same time, they also reveal the power of their agency. Interviews with different stakeholders in the struggle to combat violence against women, including the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the police, family protection units, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women’s organizations and shelters, have exposed the concerns, worries, problems and future strategies that, on the whole, illustrate stakeholder commitment to eradicating VAW, yet also point to structural and organizational weaknesses in efforts to do so.
The Standing Operating Procedures detail the minimum procedures for prevention and response to GBV and for CP. They also present more comprehensive prevention and response interventions. They indicate which organizations and/or institutions are responsible for actions in the four main response sectors - health, psychosocial support, law/ justice and security. They are designed to be used together with existing resources related to prevention and response to GBV and CP.
In line with UNFPA's mission as well as commitments made by the UN and the International Community, addressing GBV is a priority for the Population Fund. The current Strategic Plan for 2008-2011 (extended to 2013) and the Strategic Plan for 2014-2017 sharpened the organization’s focus on its primary goals: to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health, secure reproductive rights and reduce maternal mortality. The Fund believes that the advancement of gender equality and women´s empowerment are worthy goals by themselves and are also central to achieving success in the area of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), particularly the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) including violence against women (VAW) and other harmful practices widely regarded as violations of human rights. It is the belief of UNFPA that GBV is a global health concern of epidemic proportions with serious implications for the SRHR of all.
