End Violence against Palestinian Women in Israel

Dear friends,

We want to thank you for continuing to support Kayan - Feminist Organization and to update you about the work we have been doing to support ending violence against Palestinian women in Israel.

Kayan’s holistic support hotline: We are continuing to support women victims of SGBV through our support hotline. Each women receives emotional support, and consultation on steps to take to change her situation, such as doctor’s visits, filing police reports, taking legal steps and more. We offer to accompany them to appointments and make sure to follow up with them.

In addition, we are passed the half-way point in our volunteer training course for future hotline volunteers. In this course, we train participants how to take calls and how they can support the caller, taking into account the boundaries of our work and each participant’s personal background in light of the difficult stories they will be hearing. One of the highlights in January was hearing the testimony of a strong and independent woman who called our hotline some years ago. She who broke the barriers of fear and overcame many long and difficult years, and created an independent and dignified life for herself and her children, becoming a leader in women’s support.

Investing in the future: In January and February, we have planned activities for the year together with our youth groups. Knowing the potential that today’s youth has in preventing SGBV in the future, they are a key partner in the feminist struggle, and we at Kayan strive to create a safe space for youth that allows them to discuss the issues that concern them.

Working with grassroots women: In the beginning of February, we invited the Jusur Forum to Kayan to reflect on the activities of 2022 and plan the new year. The Jusur Forum consists of women leaders representing the local grassroots women’s groups from 17 Arab localities. We are excited to continue our work with the Jusur Forum in 2023 and carry out workshops, campaigns, and events in order to raise awareness about the prevalence of violence against women and ways to combat it. Our planning meetings at the beginning of the year fill us with hope, and we concluded the meeting with high determination and a clearer vision for the upcoming year.

Fighting gun violence: Currently, the Knesset is discussing an amendment that would make it easier for civilians to own licensed weapons, under the pretext of the recently deteriorating security situation.We at Kayan realize that the decision to facilitate carrying weapons will increase the risk of murder for women, Palestinian women especially. We call upon the government and society to assume their responsibility in reducing gun violence against women. A radical solution that includes serious opposition to violence starts with concern for the issues and investing effort, instead of focusing on reducing the opposition and facilitating the acquisition of weapons.

We thank you for your support and partnership in ending violence against Palestinian women in Israel, and we are very grateful for the ongoing friendship. With your support, grassroots change is possible.

Gratefully,

The Kayan team