PA Minister of Women’s Affairs pushes Penal Law that will protect women from violence
“[PA] Minister of Women's Affairs Rabiha Dhiab said yesterday [May 20, 2014] that the finishing touches are currently being put on the proposed Penal Law, and spoke of the law’s importance in stopping crimes of femicide. Dhiab spoke during the sit-down strike held in front of Prime Minister [Rami Hamdallah]’s Headquarters in Ramallah, at the request of Tawasul (contact) centers, the ministry, and women’s groups such as the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Against Domestic Violence Against Women (Al Muntada),to demand the bill’s ratification. In addition, she praised [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to cancel mitigating circumstances in [cases] of femicide…
Fatima Dana, a legal advisor who specializes in women’s issues, noted that the aim of this activity (i.e., the sit-down strike) was to emphasize the importance of ratifying the bill quickly, and said: ‘The ongoing amendments to the two penal laws, whether the one in effect in the West Bank or [the one in effect] in the Gaza Strip, are insufficient, especially since both laws are old, and even the two states (i.e., Jordan and Egypt) that published them amended them already decades ago.’
Lubna Al-Ashqar, public relations chief for the Women’s Affairs Team, said: ‘There are many sections [of the law] that should be amended, not just certain sections.’ She added that the [strikers’] basic demand was the ratification of a modern, social penal law that would answer the aspirations and the struggle of the Palestinian woman…
In a position paper published on its behalf, the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Against Domestic Violence Against Women (Al Muntada)… expressed its concern about the increase in the rate of femicide cases, which necessitates the publication of a presidential decree ratifying the proposed penal law submitted to the Legislative Council (PA Parliament), the government and the President by the civil social institutions and the National Group for the [formulation of the] Bill. In addition, he noted that an honorary convention, [which is to serve] until the [bill’s] ratification, was recently published with the common consent of all PLO factions.”
Fatima Dana, a legal advisor who specializes in women’s issues, noted that the aim of this activity (i.e., the sit-down strike) was to emphasize the importance of ratifying the bill quickly, and said: ‘The ongoing amendments to the two penal laws, whether the one in effect in the West Bank or [the one in effect] in the Gaza Strip, are insufficient, especially since both laws are old, and even the two states (i.e., Jordan and Egypt) that published them amended them already decades ago.’
Lubna Al-Ashqar, public relations chief for the Women’s Affairs Team, said: ‘There are many sections [of the law] that should be amended, not just certain sections.’ She added that the [strikers’] basic demand was the ratification of a modern, social penal law that would answer the aspirations and the struggle of the Palestinian woman…
In a position paper published on its behalf, the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Against Domestic Violence Against Women (Al Muntada)… expressed its concern about the increase in the rate of femicide cases, which necessitates the publication of a presidential decree ratifying the proposed penal law submitted to the Legislative Council (PA Parliament), the government and the President by the civil social institutions and the National Group for the [formulation of the] Bill. In addition, he noted that an honorary convention, [which is to serve] until the [bill’s] ratification, was recently published with the common consent of all PLO factions.”