CSW/Fifty-first session – Palestinian women – Press release (excerpts)

Fifty-first Session

7^th & 8^th Meetings (AM & PM)

WELL-BEING OF GIRLS SHOULD BE UNDERPINNED BY ROBUST SET OF LAWS

COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TOLD

Over 30 Speakers Continue Discussion of Ways

To Eliminate Violence, Discrimination against Girl Child

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Background

The Commission on the Status of Women met to continue its general debate on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000:  gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”.  It was expected to hold an expert panel following the debate, on “Elimination of all forms of violence against women:  follow-up to the Secretary-General’s in-depth study at national and international levels”.

Statements

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PAIMANEH HASTAIE ( Iran) …  Iran was concerned by the increasing number of incidents against Muslim women and girls in western societies, as indicated in recent reports of the Special Rapporteur against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia.  Likewise, foreign occupation, threats to use force and attacking sovereign States had negative impacts on the rights and security of girls, such as in Iraq and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

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NADYA RASHEED, Observer for Palestine, said it could not be overemphasized how severely Palestinian girls had been affected by the ongoing aggression and violence perpetrated by Israel, the occupying Power.  They had been killed, injured, maimed, arrested and detained, and left homeless and orphaned.  Palestinian girls had no refuge.  Even their homes, classrooms and hospitals were not protected from the violence committed by the occupying Power.  From June to November 2006, more than 400 Palestinians had been killed, including 90 children.  The international community had allowed such horrendous attacks to be committed by the occupying Power — attacks that resulted in the wholesale killing of entire families — with complete impunity and without real consequence.  Palestinian girls and their families living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory endured harassment and humiliation.  Violence against Palestinian girls on their way to school by gun-toting illegal settlers went unpunished and, in many cases, was encouraged by the occupying forces.

Poverty in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was rampant and food insecurity plagued almost half the population, she said.  The high rates of malnutrition and anaemia among girls were shocking.  Palestinian mental health was deteriorating due to the psychological trauma of violence.  The international community must take all measure to ensure that Israel complied with its obligations and brought its regimes of occupation, colonization and apartheid to an end.  The international community must go beyond assistance and reporting, and must seriously consider the recommendations of the recent report by the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices against the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (document A/61/500) to impose sanctions against Israel if it continued to violate its international obligations.

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SAEED RASHED ALHEBSI (United Arab Emirates), …

…  He expressed concern at the suffering of the Palestinian women and children resulting from the poor economic and humanitarian conditions and the violence caused by the Israeli occupation.

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For information media • not an official record