Israel

Frieda collaborates with a local partner organisation in Israel to support survivors of gender-based and sexualized violence, as well as to promote the political and social participation of Palestinian women with Israeli citizenship.

Founded as a place of refuge for the Jews and unrecognised by many of its neighbouring states, Israel has been at the centre of sociopolitical tensions and armed conflicts since 1948. Despite the ongoing threat situation, Israel is economically and politically stable. The unemployment rate is low compared to rates in the region, and there are established democratic institutions. In principle, human rights are protected. Israel has also ratified international conventions on the protection of women against violence.

Nevertheless, Israeli society is characterised by inequality and social injustice. Jewish Israelis, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, Bedouin Arabs, and other groups live in strict segregation and in some cases do not have the same rights. The Israeli occupation and settlement policy, which violates international law, is being further promoted by the current right-wing government and prevents a lasting, just peace. The current war between Israel and Hamas is another escalation in a spiral of violence that has lasted for years and is etching itself deeply into the collective memory of the Israeli and Palestinian populations.

Frieda has been supporting local women's rights organisations for over 60 years in their commitment to comprehensive peace and equality for all the inhabitants of Israel.

Situation of Project Participants

Palestinian women with Israeli citizenship face discrimination in many areas of their lives, both as part of an ethnic minority in Israel and due to widespread patriarchal structures in their own community. Often, their opportunities for political engagement are restricted. Many experience gender-based and sexualized violence, both in their immediate social environment and in the digital space. In 2023, gender inequality increased further across Israel: Thirty women were murdered because of their gender (feminicide). The gender pay gap for equal work has widened. Compared to the previous year, fewer women were elected to important political and economic positions. Survivors of legal discrimination or gender-based violence often have limited access to support. As domestic violence tends to be taboo, many survivors are unaware of their rights and are therefore unable to claim them. Cases of gender-based violence are rarely adequately prosecuted and punished by the authorities.

Frieda Programme

Frieda's Israeli partner organisation is committed to combating gender-based and sexualized violence. In the projects, participants increase their social and political skills and acquire knowledge about human rights and women's rights. The goal is for women to express their needs and demands, claim their rights, and thus actively participate in social change. Survivors of violence receive individual psychosocial and legal support.

At the community level, the partner organisation, together with project participants, raises awareness about equality in their social environment. For example, it conducts campaigns to draw attention to sexualized violence. It accompanies and supports supra-regional networks and groups in their work against gender-based violence.

At the structural level, the partner organisation works within Palestinian society to ensure that the police and judiciary provide the necessary framework to combat violence in a sustained manner. It monitors the implementation of laws, argues the case for the protection of survivors, and fights to hold perpetrators accountable.