This report presents the perspectives of Palestinian women and girls on issues related to security as well as their assessment of the services provided by local authorities and/ or the international community to address their security needs. It concludes with a series of recommendations made by Palestinian women and girls for improving these services.
The findings of this report are based on focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) with Palestinian women and girls between June and November 2009 in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. DCAF hopes that the report’s findings will encourage stakeholders to integrate the perspectives of women and girls into the national security debate within the Palestinian Territories.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Background
Methodology
Maps of the Palestinian Territories
Findings
Military and Political Violence
Perceptions of Insecurity in the Public Sphere
Perceptions of Insecurity in the Home
Perceptions of the Response Mechanisms
The Recommendations of Women and Girls
Conclusion
Annexes
Annex 1: Focus Group Discussions: Questioning Route
Annex 2: Selection of Organisations Offering Services to Palestinian Women