Czech Republic Will Support Protecting Victims of Gender-Based Violence in the West Bank

28.03.2023 / 14:04 | Aktualizováno: 29.03.2023 / 15:31

On 27 March 2023, the Head of the Representative Office of the Czech Republic in Ramallah, Mr. Jakub Šlosárek, and Ms. Randa Siniora, General Director of the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), signed a contract to implement a project within the framework of the Transition Promotion Program of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs which will contribute to protecting victims of gender-based violence in the West Bank.

WCLAC was founded in 1991 and has since established itself as one of the leading Palestinian non-governmental organizations dedicated to fighting violence against women and to supporting women’s rights. It provides legal and social counselling to victims of gender-based violence and runs an emergency shelter which offers persons in need a safe haven in difficult situations. At present, only three such facilities are operating in the West Bank, and the first one was established by WCLAC, which has been the initiator of the Palestinian National Referral System for women victims of gender-based violence. The organization is dedicated to researching political advocacy with the objective of cultivating the legal environment and solving the acute problem of gender-based violence in Palestinian society. WCLAC’s services are mainly sought by women victims of domestic violence or those facing threats from a husband or family. Thanks to the support of the Czech Republic, WCLAC can enhance both its emergency shelter services and the capacities of its legal and social counselling.