NGO Alternative Pre-Sessional Report on Israel's Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT)

Israel is responsible under international law to implement the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in the Palestinian Occupied Territories (OPT). Why, then, are violations of the Convention in the OPT widespread and increasing? This report stresses how Palestinian women are intimidated and abused by Israeli soldiers and settlers; how women prisoners are harassed and deprived of their sanitary needs; and how road blocks, checkpoints, and numerous curfews and patrols have severely hampered Palestinian women's access to health care, education and economic security. The paper also highlights that as women are primarily responsible for collecting fuel, fetching water and preparing food, they are particularly affected by the destruction of trees, terraces and water systems and have experienced increased illness related to the dumping of chemical and raw waste on Palestinian land. This report asks what measures the State of Israel will take to stop the violation of women's rights in Palestine. The paper is structured under six main headings: Violence against Women, Palestinian Women Prisoners, Consequences of Restriction of Movement, Family Unification, Rural Women, and House Demolition.