Equality Now and YWCA Palestine present the following submission in advance of the 85th Pre-Sessional Working Group of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (‘the Committee’), taking place between 31 October and 4 November 2022, for consideration of the list of issues prior to reporting of the State of Palestine. Stars of Hope Organization, Psycho-Social Counseling Center for Women, El Harah Theatre Group, Women Media and Development Organization, YWCA Palestine and YWCA Jerusalem, all non-governmental organisations based in Palestine, also join in this submission.
Our joint submission with YWCA Palestine outlines the challenges in Palestine’s legal and policy framework, specifically pertaining to the absence of legislation on family protection, the legal exception to the minimum age for marriage, the absence of legislation and policies to address workplace sexual harassment and the need to effectively implement the quota system that aims to increase women’s political participation.