Running head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1

Domestic Violence in a War Torn Palestine

Amber Jones Radcliffe

March 7, 2017

NURS 452 Global Health

Western Washington University

RN-BSN Nursing Program

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 2

The Palestinian territories are no stranger to conflict and political aggression. The region

has experienced political instability for many years, and the formation of Israel in 1948 has

brought the turbulence of 50 years of political conflict and occupation. What happens when

generations are raised with active political violence, inadequate nutrition, health care or financial

stability? This paper seeks to delve into the pattern of political violence that generations of

Palestinians have endured, and the resultant effect on domestic violence. This paper also

examines what is being done to reduce the effects of domestic violence in the Palestinian region

and provides an alternate solution to the issue.

History of the Situation

The situation in Palestine is one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time, producing

refugees seeking asylum across the globe from the ongoing conflict. For the last five decades,

Palestine has been under attack as Israel advances settlement of the Palestinian territories and

blockades isolate Gaza and parts of the West Bank creating apartheid-like conditions. Palestine

has seen nine years of blockades, widespread destruction of hospitals, schools, and basic utilities

such as power plants, water and sewer systems (World Health Organization [WHO], 2015). This

has lead to the displacement of families into temporary shelters and encampments, exacerbating

pre-existing gender inequality and intensifying family tensions. The history of the region is

complex and is outside of the scope of this paper. But the ongoing conflict and instability of daily

life has had a deleterious effect on Palestinian life for several generations and affects all parts of

their social and family interactions (WHO, 2015).

Living conditions inside the confines of the blockades (e.g., Gaza Strip) are inhumane and

are intensifying. 90 to 95% of the water in Gaza is undrinkable, 72% of Palestinians experience

food insecurity and eight out of ten people live on $2 US dollars a day (Aljazeera, 2015). Anemia
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 3

and nutritional deficiencies are prevalent throughout the Palestinian territories, but are more

prevalent inside Israeli controlled blockades, driven by tight restrictions on what food is allowed

in. Pregnant women are anemic almost 30% of the time overall in Palestine, but 37% are anemic

in Gaza. The average rate of anemia in Palestine for children aged 9 12 years is 57%. However,

children in the Gaza Strip are anemic almost 70% of the time (WHO, 2013). Since 2013, as the

conflict has increased, those percentages are potentially even higher.

Despite the turbulent political situation of Gaza and the West Bank, Palestine is one of the

fastest growing populations in the world today; it grew 30% over the last ten years. Nearly half

of the population is under the age of 14, and two thirds of Palestinians are 19 years old or

younger (Palestinian Bureau Statistics State of Palestine [PCBS], n.d.). In keeping with Skolniks

(2016) discussion of demographic transition, their country is likely experiencing the high

fertility/high mortality trend of population growth common with developing nations (p. 45). As

of 2015, the fertility rate was 4.1 births per woman and the average household size was 5.2

people. This number also reflects the high number of single, female households due to the

prevalence of male death and imprisonment. These households represent the most poverty prone

group in the country (PCBS, n.d.).

Gender roles play an important role in how a social environment affects a person and

Palestine is a particularly inequitable culture for women, even compared to other Middle Eastern

countries. Education is typically a protective factor for a woman, improving socioeconomic and

health status, and is associated with a reduction in early marriage and domestic violence

(Skolnik, 2016, p. 58). Unfortunately, Palestine is a statistical outlier. Though they enjoy some of

the highest literacy (95.6%) and educational rates for women in the Middle East, Palestinian

women have the lowest labor participation rates and highest rates of child brides and teen
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 4

pregnancy for the region (Women in Science, n.d.). The average age of marriage for a female is

19 years old, but 30% of 15-18 year old girls in Gaza were married in 2015. Economic crisis

contributes to the practice of arranged child marriage, because it can be used as a means for a

family to stay afloat, financially (United Nations [UN], 2016). Considering the devastating

poverty and exponential population growth of the region, marrying off underage daughters is

increasingly common, especially in Gaza. Early pregnancy and childbirth pose well documented

risks and are associated with wide ranging health implications for both mother and baby,

including anemia, high blood pressure, preterm labor and maternal death. Risks to the baby

include premature birth and low birth weight (Italian Development Cooperation, 2015).

All women, even the most educated Palestinian women are subject to domestic violence 52%

of the time inside the blockades. The majority of women (76%) are subject to psychological

abuse in Gaza and sexual abuse is reportedly 15%. Violence against women is typically

associated with many factors, including poverty, the male partners personal history with

violence, social isolation, gender inequality and is particularly prevalent during times of conflict.

All of these factors are a significant part of Palestinian daily life (Skolnik, 2016, p. 237). Despite

the frequency of domestic violence, only 1 percent of Palestinian women seek assistance and

only a third of cases reported to the police go to court (UN Women, Palestine, 2016). Most

women who are victims of domestic violence prefer to remain silent, in part because Palestinian

culture and laws give husbands right of ownership of their wives. In fact, statistics show that

women themselves feel that violence is justifiable, depending on the circumstances. If a woman

leaves the house without notifying her husband, 41% feel violence is reasonable and 74% agreed

that violence is understandable if a woman neglects her children (Marcus, & Zilberdik, 2015).
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 5

However, it is important to note that women are not the only victims of abuse in Palestinian

families. Children are the most vulnerable to abuse within families. Sixty percent of Gaza

children are exposed to violence within the home and 70% are psychologically abused by their

parents. Women are also perpetrators of domestic violence, self-reporting that they are equal

participators of child abuse and 45% also engage in physical violence against their husbands,

though this number may not be accurate due to a lack of cultural shame for men to admit such

behavior (PCBS, n.d.).

Honor killings are another violent cultural practice that has been on the rise in Palestine in

recent years. Honor killings are a misogynistic practice widely practiced in the Middle East as a

way to restore a familys honor, following a womans violation of social codes of conduct

(Buyukgul, 2015). Female family members are murdered sometimes brutally, based on a

womans misconduct such as refusing to agree to an arranged marriage, dressing inappropriately,

or if the woman becomes a victim of a rape (BBC News, 2004). In 2013, honor killings had

doubled from previous years, which reflect heightened political tensions (UN Women, 2016).

Experts blame such endemic violence on patriarchal, discriminatory legislation and a set of laws

that effectively ignores brutality against women, guaranteeing the perpetuation of such crimes.

These laws include provisions that: reduce penalties for men who kill or attack female relatives

who commit adultery; allow rapists who agree to marry their victims to escape criminal

prosecution; and allow only male relatives to file incest charges on behalf of minors (Forced

Migration Review [FMR] editors,2007). There are no specific laws that protect women against

domestic and sexual violence and revising or improving laws is currently impossible because the

Palestinian Legislative Council (akin to parliament) has been incapacitated since 2007

(FMR,2007).
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 6

The health care system is typically the first and only government contact that a Palestinian

victim of domestic violence will see, but doctors have no protocols or special training to guide

them in treating such cases (FMR, 2007). However, if a woman living within the blockades

wanted to seek help in the form of a shelter, there is a distinct lack of socially acceptable shelters

for women. Victims are typically forced to stay in police stations, governors offices, schools and

orphanages (FMR, 2007).

Increasingly, it is understood that violence against women exacts its price on a society. A

brief prepared by a panel of experts by the UN describes that the costs incurred by society are

two-fold and include aggregate economic changes and social costs. The aggregate economic toll

of violence against women and girls results in diminished economic growth, but is also paid in

terms of supply lost, such as with reduced productivity or Gross Domestic Product (Day,

McKenna, & Bowlus., 2005). Therefore, the true cost of gender-based violence effects all facets

of a nations worth, both financially and in terms of human capital. Imagine what could be

accomplished if all of that lost capital was instead used for positive means such as improving the

overall standard of living, contributing to the worlds solutions or developing a more peaceful

society for all.

Combating the Problem

Within Palestine and the international community, the problem of domestic violence and

the discriminatory laws perpetuating the issues is widely understood to be a humanitarian crisis.

The gender-based violence of Palestine is fed by a sequelae of social and cultural problems.

However, the problem is primarily comprised of three main hurdles; 1) the political conflict of

two nations with irreconcilable differences, 2) the cultural values of a male dominated society

with established laws that discriminate in favor of protecting men, and 3) the substandard living
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 7

conditions of those residing inside the Israeli controlled blockades. Outside international entities

such as the UN, the WHO and other institutions have attempted to combat the problem with

resolutions, humanitarian aid and temporary measures to protect victims of violence. In

particular, resolution 1325 was passed in 2000 by the UN Security Council mandating that

women be incorporated into efforts at reconstruction after armed conflict and in peacekeeping

activities (United Nations Women, Palestine, 2016). Since, Palestinian authorities developed the

first National Action Plan (NAP) to implement the resolution directly within the territories.

The strategy has a particular focus on preventing and protecting women

from violations of their human rights in relation to domestic, workplace and

community-based violence, and improving gender equality and women's

participation in education, the labour [sic] market and decision-making (United

Nations, 2016).

Since the development of NAP, progressive initiatives and services for women and girls

are being implemented to protect victims of violence. Family and Juvenile Protection Units were

trained in specialized support of victims, both for sheltering and protection and also for legal

assistance. Other initiatives established 16 specialized public prosecutors to defend victims of

domestic violence and a new law was drafted in 2016 to protect victims of violence, called the

Family Protection Act (UN Women, 2016). As of 2016, 19 senior civil police officers were trained

to expand forensic investigation of domestic violence, and ensure the more sensitive handling of

domestic abuse incidents (UN, 2016).

Other notable developments include international efforts within the Gaza strip and

Palestinian territories, such as providing specialized training for thousands of primary care

providers on how to provide victims of domestic violence appropriate care and support. Some
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 8

physicians were given education on forensics collection, and offered pre-assembled toolkits for

victims. Seminars and training designed specifically for men and boys is offered, while other

international aid organizations have used storytelling and theatre to educate and raise awareness

about the effects of violence within families. Several films are also offered as a way to educate

the general public (UN, 2016).

Possible Alternative Solution

Internationally, the vast majority of funding for domestic violence goes toward

interventions for survivors, even though prevention is typically found to be the most cost

effective way to create lasting change (UN Women, n.d.). Its reasonable to reach out to victims

of abuse, especially considering the devastating effects on not just women, but their families.

However, the most pragmatic use of limited funding may be in focusing on the youngsters that

are the most amenable to a paradigm shift. Given that Palestine is fundamentally composed of

the young with about 70% of the country 19 years or younger, it also makes sense to focus on the

majority of the country to set the groundwork for change.

Currently, for those living in integrated areas of Israel, there is very little interaction. It

was found that only one percent of marriages are integrated between Israelites and Arabs and

about 90% of Israeli citizens cannot speak Arabic (Schwartz, 2016). Because the Pew poll found

that Arabs and Jews rarely interact in Israel, a new grassroots effort is underway to promote more

interaction in the form of integrated elementary schools. One way to bridge this disconnect, is to

bring the two sides together in a neutral setting, such as educating young children.

What if this concept was used to overcome the three major hurdles (mentioned

previously) that are facing female victims of abuse in Palestine? The primary prevention model

is one solution for the first two of the three hurdles that perpetuate domestic abuse; the
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 9

irreconcilable differences of the two countries (which exacerbates family tensions) and gender

inequality. An integrated school starting at a young age could introduce foundational social skills

such as promoting respect for gender and cultural differences and managing conflict without

violence. Such lesson plans have already been developed, thanks to UNWomen. Voices Against

Violence is a global curriculum that is available online and can be translated to most languages.

Its designed for boys and girls, ages 5 25 years: an age group that is arguably the most

receptive to new ideas (UN Women, n.d.).

What about the third hurdle, you may be asking yourself? As discussed previously,

ending domestic abuse, settling conflict in a nonviolent way and creating real and lasting gender

equality would free up resources, human capital and aggregate economic funds. The productivity

gained by such a cultural shift would benefit not just the social fabric of a nation, but would

promote a better standard of living. In this way, by fixing the first two, you fix the third hurdle by

default. Of course, its possible that there are problems with this plan that cannot be appreciated

from a western perspective of relative womens equality. Primary prevention takes time and

money. But if even a fraction of the money devoted to domestic violence were funneled toward

education and gender equality for the burgeoning youth of Palestine and Israel, it would yield

meaningful, lasting results.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 10

References

Aljazeera. (2015, September 15). UN: Gaza may be uninhabitable by 2020 on

current trends. Retrieved from

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/gaza-uninhabitable-2020-

israel-palestine-150902065427364.html

Buyukgul, E. (2015, April 26). The women of Palestine: caught between the

occupation and patriarchy. Informed Comment. Retrieved from

https://www.juancole.com/2015/04/palestine-occupation-

patriarchy.html

BBC News. (2004, June 22). Q&A: Honour killings explained. Retrieved from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3829139.stm

Day, T., McKenna, K., & Bowlus, A. (2005). United Nations. The economic costs of violence

against women: An evaluation of the literature. Retrieved from

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/expert%20brief%20costs.pdf

Forced Migration Review editors. (2007, January). Time to end violence against Palestinian

women and girls. Retrieved from

http://www.fmreview.org/sites/fmr/files/FMRdownloads/en/FMRpdfs/FMR27/37.pdf

Italian Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

(2015, November 25). Gender-based violence in Palestine factsheet. Retrieved from

http://www.itcoop-jer.org/sites/default/files/right_sidebar/Factsheet%20GBV_Palestine

%202015_WELOD%20PROGRAMME_nuovo%20logo.pdf
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 11

Marcus, I. & Zilberdik, N.J. (2015, April 6). PMW bulletins: Widespread violence against

Palestinian women in Gaza. Palestinian Media Watch. Retrieved from

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=14431

Palestinian Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) State of Palestine. (n.d.) Guide to Palestinian Statistics

A-Z. Retrieved from http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/site/lang_en/507/default.aspx

Skolnik, R. (2016). Global Health 101. (R. Riegelman, Ed.). The Burden of Disease: Looking

Forward (pp.45). New Haven, CT: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Schwartz, Y. (2016, May 18). The two school solution. Foreign Policy. Retrieved from

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/05/18/the-two-school-solution-israeli-arab-children-

education-integration/

United Nations. (2016, March 14 - 24). Economic and social council: Situation of and assistance

to Palestinian women. Retrieved from

https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/AEDB553BDA3E949985257F42005E0D8

United Nations Women, Palestine. (2016, March 8). The Path to Justice for Palestinian Women.

Retrieved from http://palestine.unwomen.org/en/news-and-events/stories/2016/03/path-

to-justice

United Nations Women, Palestine. (2016, March 8). Facts and Figures: Ending Violence against

Women. Retrieved from http://palestine.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-

against-women/facts-and-figures
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 12

United Nations Women, Palestine. (n.d.). Focusing on prevention to stop the violence. Retrieved

from http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-

women/prevention

United Nations Women, Palestine. (2016, August 24). The adoption of the NAP on UNSCR 1325

in Palestine: A milestone for Palestinian women and girls in working towards peace.

Retrieved from http://palestine.unwomen.org/en/news-and-

events/stories/2016/08/palestinenap

Women in Science, The Royal Academy of Science International Trust. (n.d.). Women &

education in Palestine. Retrieved from

http://womeninscience.rasit.org/files/women_in_palestine_education.pdf

World Health Organization. (2013, 16 May). Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian

territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. Retrieved from

http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66/A66_INF1-en.pdf

World Health Organization. (2015). Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory,

including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan Report by the Secretariat.

Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/253056/1/A68_37-en.pdf