8 March marks International Women's Day, providing an important platform to highlight the vital role that women play in our society and to advocate for the respect of their rights and the eradication of gender-based discrimination. In occupied Palestine, this occasion occurs at a time when Palestinian women continue to be subjected to the violence of Israel’s colonial apartheid regime, as well as the patriarchal system that exacerbates their suffering and perpetuates gender-based violence against them.

On this occasion, Al Mezan honors Palestinian women for their historic role and resilience in the face of the Israeli occupation and apartheid imposed on the Palestinian people for the past 75 years. Palestinian women have long been active in the struggle against the occupation, bearing the brunt of Israeli violations such as collective punishment, forcible transfer, ethnic cleansing, unlawful killing, arbitrary detention, house demolition, property destruction, and land confiscation, among others. In 2022 alone, according to UN OCHA, Israeli authorities killed eight Palestinian women and three girls in West Bank and the Gaza Strip. According to Addameer,  in 2022 Israeli also arrested 172 Palestinian women.

Internally, gender-based discrimination is a troubling social phenomenon in Palestinian society, owing to the lack of a legal framework to combat it and promote gender equality. According to Al Mezan’s documentation, between 8 March 2022 and 8 March 2023, at least two Palestinian women were killed and 38 others were injured in incidents resulting from the absence of the rule of law in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian women are subjected to all forms of violence as a result of gender-based discrimination. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development, 523 women from Gaza sought assistance from safe houses for domestic violence victims in 2022, with 272 of them receiving protection and refuge. According to the data, the number of women seeking refuge increased in 2022 compared to 2021.

Although women make up roughly half of the Palestinian community (2.6 million females in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip out of a total population of 5.35 million in mid-2022), there are enormous obstacles that limit female labor force participation and prevent them from obtaining equal job opportunities. The unemployment rate among females in Palestine reached 40 percent, compared to only 20 percent among males. Furthermore, women’s participation in political life and representation in decision-making positions is also limited and below the desired level due to the prevailing social norms and traditions which are based on the patriarchal perspective that limits women’s roles in public space.

Finally, Al Mezan reiterates its calls for the international community to protect Palestinian women from racial and gendered oppression and pressure Israel to end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory. Al Mezan also calls on local authorities to repeal all discriminatory laws and decisions, modify the legal structure to promote gender equality and uphold Palestine’s obligations stemming from its accession to international conventions.