Press House-Palestine held a workshop to enhance freedom of expression, quality and independency of the Palestinian media under the theme "The role of the Palestinian media in the elimination of violence against women" within 16 days of events to eliminate violence against women.
The workshop was attended by Dr. Amal Hamad, director of the General Union for Women, Nadia Abu Nahla, director of the women's affairs team, as well as specialists in the field of women and its affairs and a group of journalists.
Dr. Amal Hamad, Director of the General Union for Women, said that violence against women is a societal phenomenon that exists in all societies. It cannot be talked about only in 16 days, but it is a central issue that must be addressed during the year.
Hamad said that Palestinian women live in a triangle of terror, calling on the media to truly and effectively address women's issues and highlight them. "We need a society free of moral violence instead of a democratic society based on intellectual pluralism that believes in freedom, the role of the individual and the rights of women as an integral part of the society," she added.
She stressed the need for a complete integration among media, decision-makers, legislative institutions and civil society in order to work together to highlight issues of violence against women and to deal with them socially and legally.
For her part, Nadia Abu Nahla, director of the women's affairs team, stressed that violence against women comes often from the "intimate partner", whether a husband, a father or a brother. During her speech, she called for economic and social empowerment of women, pursuing the oppressors of women and educating women about their issues.
She asked many questions about the role of media in addressing women's issues, saying: "Can media get information if a woman is harassed, killed or raped?"
She stressed that media has become a manufacturer of the event as it has the biggest role in highlighting women's issues and not making it just a seasonal issue.
she recommended the establishment of a media monitor to observe women's issues and make them issues that attract the public by mobilizing public opinion.
While journalist Hamid Jad spoke of a lack of media role, placing the greatest responsibility on women's institutions that are primarily concerned with issues of violence against women.
Jad said that if the women's media organizations are directed towards media, they will find it ready to cover the events, recommending to find a house that includes women who were under violence through women's institutions.
For her part, Donia Skaik, the adviser to the Minister of Women, said that it is the self-will that Palestinian journalists lack in addressing women's issues because they lack conviction in considering these issues as "community issue".
And called for narrowing the gap between media discourse and women's institutions towards media, by bringing it into one corner, which is becoming bias towards women and their just causes.
Journalist Rola Alian stressed the importance of highlighting the issues of women through obtaining accurate information from official institutions about cases of violent incidents against women, noting that the journalist should be legally protected in the case of these issues.
