ASMAA FATHI

Cairo- Israel’s attacks on Gaza have entered their 63rd day. Women organizations all around the world have launched campaigns to collect aid supplies for women and children in the Gaza Strip and organize events to make the voices of Gazan women heard.

 Some Egyptian organizations and initiatives have collected donations and aid supplies and delivered them to Palestine in cooperation of the League of Palestinian Women in Egypt. In addition, they have provided psychological support to the displaced Palestinian women in Egypt. They also highlighted violence against Palestinian women at events organized as part of the global 16-day activism campaign against gender-based violence.

‘The priority issue is violence against Palestinian women’

Lamia Lutfi, program coordinator at the New Woman Foundation (NWF), talked about the events held by women’s organizations in Egypt. “What has been happing in Palestine is the violation of human rights. Israel targets houses, hospitals and civilian settlements in its attacks on Gaza. Thousands have been displaced. Thousands of women have lost their husbands, children, relatives and houses. Many Egyptian organizations and initiatives have mobilized to provide psychological support to the displaced Palestinian women in Egypt. The priority issue of our events held by Egyptian organizations and initiatives to mark the global 16-day activism campaign against gender-based violence is violence against Palestinian women to be in solidarity with Palestinian women.”

‘We aim to break the silence of the international community’

Indicating that the New Woman Foundation has also held many activities to make the voices of Palestinian women heard, Lamia Lutfi said, “Not only the people of Gaza but also all Palestinians are subjected to rights violations. All organizations must collaborate because there is a humanitarian crisis in Palestine.”

‘We try to provide direct support’

Aya Abdelhamid, member of the Superwoman initiative in Egypt, also said that the priority issue of the 16-day activism campaign in Egypt is the rights violations experienced by Palestinian women. “Many organizations and initiatives have released statements on the situation of Palestinian women to make their voices heard.”

Speaking about the activities of the Superwoman Initiative, she said, “In cooperation with several organizations, the Superwoman Initiative launched a campaign about the special needs of Palestinian women because they are not less important than water and food. We collected donations and sent them to Palestine through international organizations. We also bought eSims and sent them to Palestine.”