Human Rights Group & Palestinian Canadian Voices to Hold Press Conference on Palestinian Women and Girls' Plight in Palestine on International Women's Day
March 8th, 2024 - Justice For All Canada, a leading human rights advocacy organization, will convene a press conference on March 8th to highlight the urgent and dire situation faced by Palestinian women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank. The media event will feature Canadian advocates Nihad Jasser, Lama Alsafi, Monalisa Ghadban and Ganiyat Sadiq, who will address the pressing need for immediate action to address the escalating crisis severely impacting Palestinian women and girls amidst the Israeli siege and aggression.
Date of Press Conference: Friday, March 8th, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. EST
Location: Room 135-B, West Block, 3938 Wellington St, Ottawa
Speakers: Nihad Jasser (Project Management Professional), Lama Alsafi (Ph.D. student, Norman Patterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University), Monalisa Ghadban (Co-founder and Creative Director, Films4Falasteen) and Ganiyat Sadiq (Advocacy Officer, Justice For All Canada).
Background: As the Israeli military assault across Gaza continues to devastate civil society and kill innocent civilians, Palestinian women and girls are disproportionately affected by the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis. Thousands of women and girls have been killed, injured, or displaced since October 2023. Additionally, Palestinian women and girls are facing severe food insecurity and limited access to essential services. There have also been shocking reports of gender-based violence in Gaza and the West Bank, including field executions, torture, and sexual assault. Recent reports from UN Women indicate that approximately;
Speakers will shed light on these urgent issues while making recommendations for immediate action, including
Media Note: Participation in question and answer portion is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery. Non members of the Press Gallery may contact [email protected] for temporary access.
For media inquiries contact: Tazeen Hasan at (780) 937-4750 or [email protected]
Date of Press Conference: Friday, March 8th, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. EST
Location: Room 135-B, West Block, 3938 Wellington St, Ottawa
Speakers: Nihad Jasser (Project Management Professional), Lama Alsafi (Ph.D. student, Norman Patterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University), Monalisa Ghadban (Co-founder and Creative Director, Films4Falasteen) and Ganiyat Sadiq (Advocacy Officer, Justice For All Canada).
Background: As the Israeli military assault across Gaza continues to devastate civil society and kill innocent civilians, Palestinian women and girls are disproportionately affected by the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis. Thousands of women and girls have been killed, injured, or displaced since October 2023. Additionally, Palestinian women and girls are facing severe food insecurity and limited access to essential services. There have also been shocking reports of gender-based violence in Gaza and the West Bank, including field executions, torture, and sexual assault. Recent reports from UN Women indicate that approximately;
- 9,000 women have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict.
- 63 women are killed each day as the conflict continues.
- 37 mothers are killed daily, leaving families devastated and children with diminished protection.
- 84% of women report that their families eat half or less of the food they are used to, with mothers and adult women being primarily responsible for sourcing food.
- 84% of women indicate that at least one family member had to skip meals in the past week, with mothers being the ones going without food in 95% of cases.
- 87% of women find it harder to access food compared to men, leading some to resort to extreme coping mechanisms such as scavenging for food.
Speakers will shed light on these urgent issues while making recommendations for immediate action, including
- Canada must acknowledge and condemn the gendered violence committed against women and girls in both Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli forces should be mentioned as the perpetrators of these grave crimes.
- Canada must take a leadership role in ending the injustices and utilize diplomatic pressure to secure an immediate and permanent humanitarian ceasefire to halt the killing, bombing and destruction in Gaza, as well as settler violence in the West Bank;
- Canada must ensure unrestricted access to humanitarian aid is able to reach Gaza and provide essential support to women and girls. This includes restoring funding to UNRWA, a critical lifeline for Palestinians.
Media Note: Participation in question and answer portion is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery. Non members of the Press Gallery may contact [email protected] for temporary access.
For media inquiries contact: Tazeen Hasan at (780) 937-4750 or [email protected]