Cases of Violated Women who addressed the Psycho-social Counseling Program in the West Bank and Gaza offices

Analytical Report

Cases of Violated Women who addressed the Psycho-social Counseling Program in the West Bank and Gaza offices

01.01.2011 – 30.11.2011

Every year around this time we remember oppressed and violated women around the world. We remember those who experience all forms of violence. Violence is a global problem that women experience on different levels and in various forms. Regardless of religion, culture, social class or geographical area, violence is often justified in regards of traditions, ensure safety, or as a human nature. Sacred texts were also used to validate and legitimize violation of women’s rights in order to suppress and control women. In response to this, human and women’s rights advocators are working to develop a modern progressive social and cultural discourse in terms of legislations and policies which seek to combat all forms of violence against women.

Violence against women is manifested in the systematic oppression of every aspect in women’s lives. The Palestinian society as any other traditional community is based on a patriarchal structure. Therefore, power relations are engineered to keep men in decision-making positions hence on top of the social pyramid, while women reel in the bottom deprived of justice and equality. Such uneven structures weaken the principle of equal citizenship and strengthen the patriarchal mentality, which benefits the stronger sex. Furthermore, the patriarchal social structure stimulates a chain of direct and indirect violence that is practiced on Palestinian women who reel under the Israeli occupation.

In order to develop and build a democratic Palestinian society, it is imperative that men and women stand together in the national struggle. However, as there is seemingly no political will to combat violence against women; the political establishment are shooting themselves in the food by not ensuring equal rights for its citizens.

In order to combat the phenomenon of violence against women, the psych-social counseling program at the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development offers counseling services for abused women; both in person or via the phone. The program schedules individual sessions with women and occasionally with their families. and also coordinates with the governmental institutions as well as civil society organizations. In addition, the counseling program lobbies and advocates through the relevant governmental channels in order to develop protection polices for women. The program demands new laws and policies in addition to effective procedures to criminalize violence and protect women. In this regard, PWWSD publishes this report on the cases of violence documented by its counseling program over the last year:

The total number of cases that were addressed to the counseling program in PWWSD’s office across the West Bank and Gaza reached -569- female and male beneficiaries. The number of cases of violence who sought the program reached -227- women

The monthly documentation of those cases shows that the age these women ranged from 14 to 55 years. Divorced and separated women were 23; single women 62, married women 82 and two widows.

The program’s beneficiaries come from different social and economic backgrounds. 40% of them are holders of high school diploma – Tawjihi- or university degrees, while the remaining 60% have a lower educational degree. Geographically in the West Bank -120- cases were documented from the cities, -169- cases from the villages, and -50- cases from refugee camps. In Gaza, cases came from various geographical areas across the Strip.

Main factors of violence as documented:

Results indicate that there are many factors that contribute to violence such as poverty, unemployment, social structures, and insufficient legislation. Poverty and low income have increased families’ burdens and forced women to perform multiple tasks. In addition, there is a deficiency in economic resources and thus a failure to control these resources if available by women. Other factors like the patriarchal mentality, the sterile traditions, and the demeaning image of women have also increased violence. In addition, the parents’ inability to understand their children’s adolescence that is considered as one of the most critical periods in the individual’s psychological growth, also results in physical harassment committed against women. The electronic revolution (internet and telecommunications), in addition to the weak social protection policies, the legal discrimination particularly in the penalties and family laws, gender-based discrimination, the Israeli occupation and the unstable political situation; all these factors adversely affect individuals and families and especially women. These factors reflect the failure in meeting the individual basic needs, and the unstable economic and social security, which increase domestic violence.

Analysis of the data highlight that the perpetrators in most cases are close associates of the women such as fathers, brothers, cousins, husbands, nephews, brothers in-law, fathers in-law or male friends of the family. There are also cases of self-harm.

Measures taken by the counseling program are:

v  Scheduling individual and group sessions or sometime follow-up with the case on the phone, in order to raise their awareness of their rights, build their self-esteem and teach them how to protect themselves from abuse and violence. These sessions also teach the women to build an emergency plan, and how to resolve conflicts and reduce the damage.

v  A meeting was held at the PWWSD office in Ramallah with the Minister of Social Affairs and a representative from the Family Unit in the Police Department. The meeting took place to provide protection for an 18-year old female and to schedule a psychological treatment plan.

v  In one case, a woman was assisted to pursue her education in Al-Mustakbal College in Ramallah; she graduated with an honor degree and had help finding a job to help her family financially.

v  The program coordinates with local institutions such as the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Family Unit in the Police Department and other local organizations in order to ensure sufficient protection and to provide the required services.

v  One case, 20 years old woman was relocated at her mother’s house after 12 years of separation.

v  Recruiting family back-up resources. The program received a family case; a father, a wife and their 15 year old daughter. The father threatened to kill the daughter if the counselors failed to treat her. After the first session, the counselors succeeded to reduce the father’s anger and pain. The psychological condition of the daughter was analyzed after she tried to commit suicide several times. Afterwards, the father changed his hostile manners to one of great support to his daughter. Another example of recruiting back-up resources: Informing the mother of dangers daughters face by the hands of their brothers and/or fathers. Thus the mothers become a source of support to their daughters.

v  The family unit at the police was recruited in addition to and the childhood protection network in the Ministry, in order to contribute in protecting 5 beneficiaries from sexual harassment and rape. Several hearing sessions and legal consultations were conducted to save these women from death, and affirm the family support for them. By coordinating with the ministry of Social Affairs, the minister Ms. Majida Al-Massri stressed the urgency to develop cooperation with PWWSD, in order to refer such cases of sever violation to the safe shelters. The proposal will be considered in the annual strategy for 2012.

v  Many women were referred to the appropriate channels to benefit from financial aid like donations, job opportunities or small loans from loaning companies.

v  A 15 year old girl was returned to school.

v  Some cases (suicide, or severe sexual and physical harassment) were regarded as a research study indicators by the Feminist Studies Center, and the National Al-Najah University, with the help of the counseling program at the PWWSD.

v  Integrating the violated women in the psychological support groups that were formed in their areas. Consultation groups of women who suffered from similar forms of violence were established in order to exchange experiences, debrief, and exchange possible techniques to protect themselves.

v  Coordinating for some cases to enroll in trainings, or volunteer at some local organizations, in order to use their time efficiently, and acquire new skills that will assist them in their lives, and build their self-esteem and personalities.

v  Integrating some cases in the activities and workshops conducted by PWWSD, including the open-days, and the demonstrations against violence against women.

v  Providing health assistance to a number of cases who sought PWWSD for help, through coordinating and networking with organizations from the health sector.

Challenges the Counselors faced in the program

v  Counselors face difficulties especially when dealing with emergency cases that are under threat, when applying a long-term treatment after the immediate interference that aim to immediately save women’s lives from violence or death threats. Despite regular family sessions which are scheduled upon requirement, we need to establish a long term interferences with the beneficiaries in order to be able to identify and record positive change. Some cases receive treatment for several months, and continue to attend regular sessions with our counselors, and many of them return to the program upon any future need.

v  Counselors face difficulty in dealing with cases that cannot visit the PWWSD offices, despite their need for an immediate individual interference. Some cases due to financial problems are compelled to seek help through the phone and attend only one session per month. Other cases require constant follow-up, particularly those under death threats. Those cases were provided with emergency numbers, including the number of the Family Unit at the Police Department for their protection and for immediate intervention when necessary.

v  Some husbands denied their wives the right to continue to seek psychological help through individual cases.

v  Some traditions prohibit certain women from seeking help from the courts to solve their problems. In these cases, women were educated about their legal rights through awareness workshops.

v  Some women feared to be kicked out with their children from their houses after divorce.

v  The stigma that haunts divorced or abandoned women in the Gaza Strip.

v  Violated women are unaware of their rights and duties, and they are terrified from the unknown future.

v  The dominant patriarchal fist in the Gazan society which eliminates women’s roles and personalities.

Recommendations

v  Organizations operating on women’s issues and violence prevention should join efforts in order to protect and assist women to find appropriate jobs, or in establishing their own self-generating projects that fulfill their personal needs.

v  To lobby and advocate the decision-makers, particularly the PLC to issue new laws that delegitimize violence against women

v  To establish youth forums in order to spread awareness about the urgency to combat all forms of violence against women

v  To publish a booklet for the counseling program that highlights the issue of violence against women in a clear and simple language

v  To utilize all sorts of media in order to cover the issue of violence

v  To develop the Palestinian school curriculum to include sexual education, and delete some concepts related to discrimination against women.

Together to end violence against women

The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development

The Psycho-social program