For over 70 years, Palestinians living under Israeli occupation have been subject to human rights violations that have disproportionately affected women and girls. Palestinian women regularly face violence, threats, intimidation, restrictions on movement, and discrimination as a result of Israeli policies that violate international humanitarian and human rights law.
Our joint work with partners in Palestine focuses on addressing the multifaceted challenges of the occupation, colonial policies, and the gendered impact of land theft and violence. Our efforts include supporting grassroots women’s organisations in their resistance against these injustices and amplifying their voices in international forums. By working collectively, we strive to dismantle the systemic discrimination and violence that Palestinian women face and promote peace and justice.
WILPF also has a Section in Palestine, which was founded in 1988 and is today represented by female activists from various cities, small towns, villages, and refugee camps.
WILPF works closely with our partners in Palestine: Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC).
WILPF and WCLAC’s ongoing work includes investing in women activists from marginalised areas to help them advocate for women, peace, and security through extensive capacity training, documenting Israeli violations to be submitted to different UN mechanisms, and advocating for the rights of Palestinian women at the EU and the UN.
In 2021, WILPF also worked closely with the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), providing them with support in international advocacy activities aimed at advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine.
Following the escalation of the war on Gaza and the ensuing genocide since October 2023, WILPF and our partners WCLAC have intensified efforts to emphasise the gendered impact of the conflict; call for immediate action to end the ongoing war crimes and genocide in Gaza; and demand a durable and fair peace that addresses the root causes of violence and oppression.
WILPF has engaged with allies to advocate for the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda and called for measures to halt the military aggression, including a two-way arms embargo. Our advocacy has focused on raising awareness and pushing for international action to prevent further atrocities and loss of life.
WCLAC has concentrated on holding Israel accountable for rights violations, particularly against women, by collecting and presenting evidence to international decision-makers. They have also collaborated with women’s rights organisations to increase women’s political participation and involvement in reconciliation efforts.
The escalating Israeli hostilities demand urgent attention. Here is how you can support Palestine by challenging the narrative, educating others, pressuring leaders to implement an arms embargo, and amplifying the voices of Palestinian women.
Over 20 years after the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325, Palestinian women remain disproportionately affected by the conflict and are largely excluded from peace processes. Gender-sensitive perspectives continue to be overlooked in resolving one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.
Explore the profound gendered impacts and challenges of implementing UNSC Resolution 1325 in Palestine through our joint webinars with (The General Union of Palestinian Women) GUPW, preceding the Human Rights Council’s 46th session. For deeper insights, read our interview with feminist activist Sawsan Al Shunnar: WPS 21 Years On: What Are Palestinian Women’s Challenges And Aspirations?
Discover a detailed account of human rights violations against Palestinian women in our joint submission for the Universal Periodic Review on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Palestinian Women Under Prolonged Israeli Occupation: The Gendered Impact of Occupation Violence.
May 15 marks the anniversary of the Nakba, the ‘catastrophe’ that displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes, land and families.
Each year, WILPF commemorates this day by sharing powerful messages from resilient Palestinians across the Occupied Territories. From the scars of the Nakba to the ongoing genocide, their voices tell a story of unyielding courage and a resilient plea for justice.
Hear the stories of women from the first, second, and third generations of the Nakba, who bravely continue to claim their right to their homeland and to stand strong in the face of adversity.
The decision of the Israeli government to annex large parts of the occupied Palestinian territory in 2020 is a significant violation of international law and must be unequivocally opposed and stopped by the international community and by individuals and groups around the world.
People around the world must use their voices, their vote, and their spaces to ensure that their governments go beyond condemnation and non-recognition of annexation into taking concrete actions.
Living under a military occupation contributes to high rates of physical, sexual, and psychological violence against women in Palestine, which further increased during COVID-19.
As a leading resource for women experiencing violence, WILPF’s partner WCLAC developed an emergency response plan to meet the increasing needs of women victims of gender-based violence, including providing 24/7 free legal and social aid services to victims of violence through helplines and online resources. Read more about WCLAC’s around the clock support to GBV survivors.
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Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.
Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.
Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.
In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region.
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WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.
Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.
Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.
WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.
In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.
In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.
