Ref: 127/2019
Date: 22 Dec 2019
Press release
ICSPR expresses its rejection and denunciation of the systematic incitement campaign against CEDAW convention and women’s NGOs
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) follows with great concern the systematic incitement campaign against the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women “CEDAW”, which went far beyond the concepts of societal discussion and reached the stage of public incitement targeting women and human rights activists and women, as clearly stated in the final statement issued by the Hebron Clans Conference, published on 21 December 2019.
ICSPR recognizes that there are a limited number of provisions in the agreement that may cause controversy in different societies, which made the international legislator concerned with human rights conventions work to establish an important base represented in considering cultural and religious privacy as one of the tributaries and sources of the movement of international legislation.
ICSPR strongly condemns the campaign of incitement against CEDAW, which was marred by a lot of misleading and inaccuracy regarding the Convention and the principles contained therein, and affirms that Palestinian women have made great sacrifices, which make them truly deserve the best legal protection, and believes that the Palestinian accession to CEDAW is a qualitative achievement that must be built upon, therefore, ICSPR demands the following:
- ICSPR affirms that the CEDAW convention is a universal document that includes the basic rights of women that they should enjoy without discrimination, such as their right to life, work, education, health, political participation, decision-making positions, marriage and divorce, criminalization of abortion, prostitution and women trafficking.
- ICSPR calls on the formal and informal bodies to work to open a serious dialogue to discuss any issues related to the harmonization of Palestinian national legislation with the requirements of the Convention.
- ICSPR calls on the Palestinian government to work hard to manage an awareness campaign about the importance of the CEDAW convention, and to work to confront and legally prosecute every person or entity incites and calls for harming women’s organizations and activists
