On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Arab Council reaffirms its commitment to working towards promoting women’s rights and combating all forms of violence directed at them, as this is a fundamental condition for building an Arab society based on equality and social justice.

The Arab Council views this day as an opportunity to shed light on the challenges faced by women in our societies and emphasizes the necessity of collective action to raise awareness and develop effective policies to reduce this destructive violence.

The Council calls for the strengthening of local and international laws that protect women’s rights and punish the perpetrators of crimes against them. It urges governments and the international community to collaborate to end this type of violence and to provide support to women at risk.

This issue is of particular importance given the significant challenges faced by women in conflict zones across the Arab region, including imprisonment, displacement, and sexual violence.

The Council specifically highlights the suffering of Palestinian women, who are deliberately targeted through killing, displacement, and daily suffering from discriminatory practices. This has been revealed through testimonies from recently released female prisoners who described mistreatment and violations of their dignity in Israeli prisons. The Council calls on international bodies to intervene for the release of all female prisoners and, pending that, to visit the women still imprisoned by Israel and to hold the occupying authorities accountable for their abuse.

The Council emphasizes that it is a critical duty of the international community and UN organizations to uphold human rights and ensure the full protection of women and children during wars and conflicts. It stresses that ending wars and achieving peace and stability remain the key prerequisites for improving women’s conditions and eliminating the most severe forms of violence against them.

The Arab Council