Monday, April 20, 2020
Elder of ZiyonAccording to SAWA Organization, there has been a 20% increase in calls regarding mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and abuse/violence cases, online violence and digital stalking, as well as information requests regarding COVID-19. Specifically, from young men and adolescent boys that are calling the helpline to speak about abuse they are facing from their fathers, mothers and siblings at home. Women are calling less, possibly due to skewed gender roles, as mothers are bearing most of the domestic work and maintaining the family. For this reason, there is a lack of privacy, which allows very little time for some women to communicate with SAWA and other help lines during the day. It is worth noting that the highest number of calls are from Gaza.Similarly, the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) for Palestinians is concerned for women's susceptibility to gender-based violence (GBV) during the pandemic. Things were already bad for women before.
Similarly, the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development reported that there has been an increase in calls from people seeking support, especially from Gaza. The support needed centered around GBV related consultations, counseling and GBV (gender-based violence) related counseling.
In Gaza, Women’s Affairs Center states that the presence of men and children inside the house has created a new wave of violence against women, including verbal, physical, psychological, and sexual violence. This has increased the fear, tension, grievance and psychological stresses on women placing them under high risk as women are confined with their abusers in non-accepting households.
Palestinian women also noted that the police and justice systems do not consider GBV as a priority during the pandemic.
Even though this is a strictly domestic issue, even WCLAC can't stop themselves from blaming Israel for Palestinian women being beaten by their husbands:
You have to dig deep to understand how, exactly, the "Israeli Military Occupation" leaves women susceptible to GBV, and the answer is that the existence of Israel frustrates Palestinian men who take their anger out on their wives. “Structural violence initiated and perpetuated by militarism enhances violence in all its forms.”
The Israeli Military Occupation and Palestinian patriarchal society are a dual oppression which already leaves Palestinian women susceptible to many forms of GBV. The COVID-19 pandemic has become a third element that intensifies the threat of violence due to a lockdown forcing families to stay at home.
By that logic, if a football team that Palestinians root for loses and the men hit their wives in frustration, it is the football team's fault.
Palestinian misogyny is generally not reported by the media, in another example where what they choose to ignore is at least as telling as what they do choose to report on.
