Gaza Strip, Palestine: On 21 and 22 September 2016 UNFPA participated in the first ever ‘International Seminar on Gender-Based Violence in the humanitarian context of the Gaza Strip’ organized by UNWOMEN, during which speakers and participants discussed current challenges and opportunities for an integrated GBV response in the Gaza Strip and to explore and learn from both the national and international experiences in GBV prevention and response in humanitarian setting.
Ms. Mollie Fair, Humanitarian Response Coordinator, Arab States Regional Office, presented a paper on the learning and experience of strengthening GBV coordination in emergencies in the Arab Region, and she provided recommendations to strengthen GBV coordination and ultimately prevention and response services in emergencies in the Gaza Strip specifically and the occupied Palestinian territories more overall based on this regional experience.
Another speaker was Ms. Francesca Rivelli, GBV Information Management Specialist, UNFPA Headquarters, whose session was on GBV information management in emergencies, and sent key messages about the GBV IMS definition, objectives, principles, and human right documentation and monitoring.
“We have started the process of developing IMS system in our (Jabalia Women’s Health Center) Center” said Ms. Mariam Shaqura, Head of Red Crescent Society and General Manager of JWHC, a key partner for UNFPA. “Today, we helped participants to identify the tools and key actions for developing GBV IM System”, she concluded.
Mr. Nishan Krishnapalan, Programme Analyst, UNFPA Country Office, made a presentation about the objectives of the mapping in general, challenges and recommendations. He also presented GBV services in occupied Palestinian territory, specifically on the learnings and findings from the previously conducted mappings as well as objective and structure of the on-going mapping, taking the mandate of the newly established GBV Sub Cluster into consideration.
The Seminar was concluded with the development of concrete and specific recommendations for programming in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, several recommendations from participants were raised on the main three topics that UNFPA highlighted.
