Rights groups under attack for defending women in Gaza
Women’s rights organizations in Gaza supported two young women who escaped their father’s violence, prompting an incitement campaign against these organizations due to the conservative nature of Gazan society.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Wissam al-Taweel, a 21-year-old woman from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, sparked controversy in the coastal enclave after posting a series of videos on Facebook in September explaining how she and her sister Fatima, 20, jumped from the balcony of their house to escape the violence and death threats of their father, as official authorities fall short of providing protection for women suffering from domestic violence.
The videos prompted a support campaign on social media, under the Arabic hashtag that translates into “Save_Wissam_Fatima.”
Women's rights organizations also intervened to try and protect Wissam and her sister.
But the support campaign was met with an unprecedented attack against women’s rights institutions in Gaza, as many alleged that these institutions are violating customs and traditions by calling for the protection of the rights of unmarried women and keeping them in a shelter.
