Al Mezan congratulates women on their Day; Calls to exert efforts to protect them and alleviate discrimination

The 8th of March marks the International Women's Day; an occasion that calls all of us to stand against the injustice and oppression that women have experienced over human history, and to reinforce the achievements of women in different fields.
This occasion comes at particular time where Palestinian women face extremely difficult conditions emanating from the double sources of violations.
93 women were killed by the IOF in the Gaza Strip since the commencement of the Al Aqsa intifada.
Moreover, within this time, the IOF has forced 140 thousands Palestinian women and female children out of their homes which were subjected to total or partial destruction.
22,082 women were also deprived of sources of living as a result of destruction of agricultural lands by the IOF.
Tens of thousands of others lost their incomes due to losing their employment or that of their husbands'.
The Israeli violations have engendered unprecedented social and economic difficulties within the OPT, and women have had to endure a major part of, and adjust to, these immensely difficult circumstances and manage their families' affairs under the suspension or decrease of income.
Accordingly, unqualified women have been forced to work; their needs were exploited and subjected to discrimination with regards to payments.
Women had to accept several types of employment in order to earn their living.
Their suffering was doubled through the escalation of the state of insecurity within the Palestinian society; many of them lost their husbands, sons and were themselves victims of armed clashes.
26 females were killed in 2006, and 8 females have so far been killed in 2007 in the context of the internal insecurity within the Gaza Strip.
In a severe escalation of attacks against women, four women were killed in the last two months for what Al Mezan suspects as alleged "honor" reasons.
According to the law, killing is a crime that breaches both Palestinian law as well as the rulings of the Sharia law.
Such killings cannot be justified by claims of family honor.
In this respect, Al Mezan believes that the increasing disrespect of the and disregard of legal boundaries has engendered the escalation of such phenomenon.
Any penalty must be in conformity with the crime committed and must be inflicted on the convicted person in a just trial as decided by the law.
Therefore, while Al Mezan congratulates Palestinian women on the occasion of the International Women's Day, it also expresses its solidarity and support with the Palestinian women's struggle to gain their rights and confront all types of discrimination against them.
Further, the Center confirms that legislation and the practical implementation of laws must fairly and positively treat women.
It also calls upon the PNA to devote its attention to alleviate all kinds of discrimination against women.
In particular, it calls up on the PNA to effectively confront crimes committed against Palestinian women and initiate serious investigation regarding the killings of women and inflict punishment on the perpetrators.
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