A Question of Security : Violence Against Palestinian Women and Girls

Book excerpt: Key recommendations - Note on methodology. -- Background. The political and legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territories - The Palestinian criminal justice system : The Palestinian police - The Attorney General and public prosecutors - The Palestinian judiciary - Applicable laws. - The status of Palestinian women - The Palestinian women's rights movement. -- Social and legal obstacles to reporting violence and seeking redress. Spousal abuse - Child abuse - Sexual abuse : rape - incest. - Murder of women under the guise of "honor". -- Failings in institutional responses to violence against women and girls. The role of the police - The role of medical professionals : the absence of medical guidelines and breaches of confidentiality. - Forensic doctors and forced virginity testing - The informal justice system : The role of governors in the informal justice system. - Inaccessible shelters for victims of violence : The Nablus Shelter - The Bethlehem Home for Girls. -- Obligations under international human rights law. The right to non-discrimination and equality before the law - State responsibility for abuses by third parties. -- Conclusion. -- Recommendations. To the Palestinian Authority - To President Mahmoud Abbas - To the Palestinian Legislative Council. - To the Attorney General - To the Ministry of Interior - To the Ministry of Social Affairs -- To the Ministry of Health - To the government of Israel - To the international donor community. -- Acknowledgements.