Statement for the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
On this International Women's Day, we are proud to share an important discussion taking place today at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
For over a decade, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice has worked tirelessly to end the sex trade in Israel. As part of this mission and as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, we have submitted a written statement in support of the Commission's theme of "Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls."
JIJ sees the great potential for innovation to further empower women and supports these developments. We must also acknowledge the risks posed by technological advancements, particularly the rise in prostitution facilitated by social media platforms. We are taking steps to combat this phenomenon through our "Project NOA", which promotes legislative initiatives and societal change.
We take this opportunity to appeal to the UN and nations globally to adopt the Nordic model which involves the decriminalization of prostituted people, the criminalization of purchasers and profiteers of sex, as well as education and support services for survivors. We are encouraged by the success of this model in Israel and are confident in its potential to protect vulnerable women and girls.
Please read JIJ's full statement here. Together, we can lead the fight on behalf of women and achieve true gender equality.
Discrimination against Women under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas
The following report examines the degree to which the Palestinian governing authorities in the West Bank and Gaza adhere to CEDAW. Findings indicate their acute failure to protect women’s rights within both legal codes and cultural practices. Even in cases where legal codes guarantee certain women’s rights, laws are either not enforced
or inconsistently enforced and very few categories of rights receive complete protection. For example, in 2011 the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA) published an extensive document entitled “National Strategy to Combat Violence Against Women 2011-2019.” This document is an impressive acknowledgement of women’s rights violations, but despite the authorities’ ostensible intentions to counteract violence against women, the problems outlined remain rampant.