NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza- In patriarchal societies, women struggle with both laws of men and customs. Although women gain many rights by struggling for years, they still face social pressure due to the unenforced laws.

Palestinian women have been waging both a national struggle and women’s struggle. Thanks to their struggle, they have guaranteed many rights in law; however, they cannot use their rights due to the patriarchal mentality and unenforced laws. Women who want to have a divorce face many problems since divorce is unacceptable by Palestinian society. Divorced women face social marginalization and cannot find a job because they are ‘divorced’. Palestinian lawyer Siham Al-Shawa drew attention to the role of NGOs in raising awareness.

 

Violence continues after divorce

Speaking about the recent increase in divorce rate in Palestine, Siham Al-Shawa said, “One of the cause for the increase divorce rate in Palestine is child marriage and forced marriage. Most underage marriages end in divorce. Women asking for a divorce need social and economic security; however, their families do not support them. Divorced women cannot have a normal life; they are excluded from society and labor force. They get a divorce to get rid of domestic violence but they are subjected to social violence after divorce.”

 

‘Women should know their rights’

Underling that divorce takes a long time, Siham Al-Shawa said, “Women suffer during the divorce process. Some divorce proceedings take more than a year. During the divorce proceedings, women are paid neither alimony nor compensation. Most women do not know anything about their legal rights. The NGOs have played an important role in launching awareness-raising campaigns to give information to women about their legal rights.”

 

‘I got a divorce to have a life with dignity’

Naziha Al-Bayed (27) is one of the divorced women in the Gaza Strip. Emphasizing that divorced women face many problems, she said, “Making the decision to divorce is not easy for women, who have children. I was subjected to violence by my ex-husband for eight years. Every day was like hell during my eight-year marriage. I got a divorce to get rid of violence and to have a life with dignity.”