It is International Women’s Day. This is a day for solidarity for women all over the world. After breakfast this morning, we went by bus to various community centres that are receiving funding from the UNRWA. In the bus on the way to Gaa Al Qureen Development Association, one of our guides told us about the recent destruction of Gaza by the Israeli government. She said that they want to destroy everything –old men, women and children- even the stones. I am so disgusted by the damage that I see. 1500 homes destroyed, the Al Quds hospital, the ministry buildings – everything reduced to rubble. How can an army with bombs, helicopters and tanks invade a community – where children are playing in the playgrounds, walking to school, sleeping soundly in their homes? What mentality can kill the innocent without remorse?
At the community centre we were met by all the women that use this centre. They had put a lot of thought and preparation into our visit. Three of us went to each centre. At Gaa All Qureen they sang, danced and performed a play for us. The women are learning a lot about their rights as women and this centre is very important to each of them. Many of the women have been very isolated for some time. Many are not educated – this is a very rural community and the centres have given them a place to be together and to learn about their rights as women. They have a room with exercise equipment and a room with computers. Mothers and daughters are coming for lessons together. Some said they were realizing their dreams. The program today was set up so that each woman in our group had an opportunity to meet with a group of Palestinian women and ask them questions and to answer theirs. The women asked me questions about women’s rights in Canada and about my opinion on women’s rights in general. There was personal sharing on both sides and tears on mine. Domestic abuse is a problem in Gaza – men are out of work and they are frustrated by the hopelessness here. The workshops sponsored by UNRWA are impacting both men and women and making a difference. There is a new awareness for the women of Gaza.
This evening we had dinner in a gorgeous restaurant with delicious soup and a variety of salads. After dinner we heard from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) workers. They told us about the work they did with the Red Crescent Society. They described the horrors of going into areas that were being attacked and taking out the injured – shelling and bombing going on around them. They told us about the fisherman and the farmers who are regularly attacked by the Israeli soldiers – before and after the massacre.
Palestinian territorial water should be 12 miles out from the shore and this should be safe fishing ground for the fisherman. However, the Israelis have only allowed them to fish 6 miles out from the shore and have shot at them when they were as close as 5 miles. Since the massacre this area has been reduced to 3 miles and fisherman have been fired at as close as 1 mile from the shore. Fisherman of late choose not to fish because it is not feasible financially to take out a trawler within 3 miles from the shore and also because it is so dangerous for them. Many continue as they have no other way to feed their families.
What do the women of Gaza want on this International Women’s Day? Like you and me they want to live in peace, to nurture their children and see them happy and free.
Sandra for a Just Peace 