A 16-day joint campaign, ‘Together Against Violence’, has launched to advocate for the rights of women in Palestine.

The campaign forms part of the international ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’, which runs from 25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – to 10 December, International Human Rights Day. Together Against Violence, which comprises 68 partners in Palestine and internationally, will campaign for swift adoption of the proposed Family Protection Bill, which contains provisions for the prevention of gender-based violence, protection for survivors and full accountability for perpetrators; as well as advocating for increased support services for survivors of violence against women and girls. 29% of women in Palestine will experience some form of violence in their lifetime.

One of the Together Against Violence campaign partners said: “This year’s 16 Days joint campaign, which grew three times in size from last year, clearly shows the aspiration of national and international actors in Palestine to see the actual adoption of the Family Protection Bill, after 15 years of rigorous push from the national women’s organisations and international actors supporting women’s rights.”

More than 100 co-ordinated activities are scheduled in cities and villages throughout Palestine across the 16 days of campaigning, including:

Lighting up buildings in orange to display solidarity for women who have experienced violence;

Policy dialogues and ‘TED-style’ talks on the pressing issue of violence against women;

Awareness raising sessions and youth camps aimed at enacting behavioural change among men and boys; and

Social media campaigns raising awareness of the issue and providing support and access to resources for survivors of violence.

The Together Against Violence campaign will close on 10 December with an awareness raising event at An-Najah National University in Nablus. More than 1,000 participants, including university students and survivors of gender-based violence, will attend the event, which will include cultural and musical performances based around the theme of violence against women.