[News] Through Women’s Eyes: impact and consequences of Operation Cast Lead

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Through Women’s Eyes: PCHR report on 
gender-specific impact and consequences of Operation Cast Lead

http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7169
29.09.09 - 12:30

In conjunction with the presentation of the UN 
Fact Finding Mission’s report to the Human Rights 
Council on 29 September, the Palestinian Centre 
for Human Rights (PCHR) release “Through Women’s 
Eyes: A PCHR Report on the Gender-Specific Impact 
and Consequences of Operation Cast Lead”.

The Israeli offensive claimed the lives of 118 
women, and injured at least 825 more. However, 
although the numbers of victims and casualties 
illustrate the appalling human toll of this 
conflict, the true extent of the suffering lies 
in the day-to-day reality of life in the Gaza 
Strip following Operation Cast Lead, as civilians 
struggle to rebuild their lives, come to terms 
with their loss, and restore some semblance of human dignity.

PCHR has released ‘Through Women’s Eyes’ in order 
to highlight the gender-specific impact of 
Operation Cast Lead and the illegal Israeli 
closure. As a result of the patriarchal nature of 
Palestinian society, women in the Gaza Strip – 
victims of ‘peacetime’ discrimination – are 
particularly susceptible to the marginalization, 
poverty, and suffering brought about as a result 
of armed conflict and occupation. Israeli attacks 
result in often ignored gender-specific 
consequences. PCHR has chosen to allow these 
consequences, and the reality of life after the 
offensive, unfold through the victims words; 
although this report is necessarily grounded in 
international law, it is perhaps fitting that 
human rights, and human suffering, are expressed through human stories.

This report presents the cases of 12 women 
affected by Israeli attacks over the course of 
Operation Cast Lead. These examples are intended 
to demonstrate the extent of the suffering 
inflicted on the individual civilians of the Gaza 
Strip, and the continuing difficulties they face 
as a result of the devastation wrought by Israeli 
forces and the ongoing illegal closure.

‘Through Women’s Eyes’ highlights the 
difficulties women in the Gaza Strip face as they 
attempt to come to terms with their grief and 
their injuries; with the loss of their children, 
their husbands, their relatives, their homes, and 
their livelihoods. These narratives are 
illustrative, not only of the trials faced by 
women in the Gaza Strip, but of the resilience 
and strength they have demonstrated over 42 years of conflict and occupation.

‘Through Women’s Eyes’ is release as a 
continuation of PCHR’s work documenting human 
rights violations in the occupied Palestinian 
territory. With respect to Operation Cast Lead, 
in May PCHR released ‘War Crimes Against 
Children’ a report on the killing of 318 
children, while earlier this month ‘Targeted 
Civilians’ PCHR’s comprehensive report on the 
offensive was released in Arabic; it will be available in English shortly.

The report is available at:

<http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/Reports/English/pdf_spec/through-women%27s%20_eyes.pdf>http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/Reports/English/pdf_spec/through-women's%20_eyes.pdf




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