AMMAN / PNN /

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is joining 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 will hold events across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan to highlight its commitment to end violence against women and girls. These events respond to the different forms of violence experienced by women and girls and seek to mobilize civil society to become activists.

In Jordan, schools and community centers will invite successful women survivors of GBV to share their stories of overcoming their trauma, to inspire others and challenge the social stigma survivors can face. 

In the West Bank, activities will focus on UNRWA staff sharing their own reflections on eliminating GBV and how they collaborate with the community and civil society to achieve this. In Gaza,

 UNRWA will conduct awareness raising initiatives in 137 UNRWA schools, 22 health centres and in nine Women Protection centres. And in Lebanon, local organizations working on women’s and girls’ rights across the nine most populous camps will participate in a march under the slogan, اتحدوا ضد العنف #UNITE Against Violence.

“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.