The Violence against Women from the Perspective of Gender and its Impact on the Political Development in Palestine (2000-2013)

This study examines violence against women, from a gender perspective, and its effect on the political development in Palestine , So This study aimed to clarify the controversial relationship between violence against women ,and political development in Palestine, and how it affects them , and the study was aimed to clarify the extent of the spread of violence, and what are the facets and forms directed against Palestinian women , and to explore the availability of quantitative measures of the phenomenon of violence against women in Palestine . The study started from the hypothesis that " the mechanisms for measuring violence in Palestine where there in a shortage , but the indicators observed and issued by official bodies proved that there is violence directed against women, which limits the extent of their participation and contribution to the process of political development . The indicators of political development in Palestine is still ranged in place, because of the prevalence of violence against women, and the lack of solutions from a gender perspective to reduce this phenomenon . " The study also began of the question looking at the relationship between violence against women in Palestine and the political development , this question focus in "Can we make the development of real political science in Palestine despite the absence of half of the society, from the process and resulting mainly from violence against women socially and politically ? "To address the hypothesis of the study and answer the questions proceeded, the researcher developed quantitative indicators and to measure the phenomenon of violence against women from a gender perspective ,and also referred to some statistics by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, therefore the researcher used the method content analysis, in reading and analyzing of quantitative studies and statistics in a scientific way , In addition to the historical method to review the history of the emergence of the phenomenon of violence , and to clarify the main findings that emerged from this phenomenon, especially concerning political development , in addition to the historical materialist dialectical approach . The first chapter of the study presents the introduction of study and its methodology , and during the second semester has been discussed the study concepts , and its theoretical framework , which includes the origins and evolution of the concept of gender in Palestine , and discussed the dialectical relationship between the concepts related to violence against women ,and gender concepts , as scientific entrance governs the overall thrust of the study, in order not to deviate from its course and objectives set by the researcher . Chapter III examines the indicators of violence against women in Palestinian society : theoretical interpretations , in terms of pointing indicators and quantitative value used to measure the phenomenon of violence against women , was addressed to the theories that explained violence and the extent of convergence and divergence among them , and the extent adapted to the Palestinian situation . This chapter also addressed the most important institutions concerned with monitoring and analysis of the phenomenon of violence against women , as well as analysis of the statistics of violence against women, both qualitatively and quantitatively , as has been the analysis of each of the phenomenon of honor killings , and the phenomenon of trade in women . Chapter IV deals with the impact of violence against women, and its impact on the political development in Palestine , where This chapter attempts to clarify the dialectical relationship between violence against women from a gender perspective, and dimensions and aspects of political development in Palestine , and the illustration of the impact of violence on both democracy and political participation in the public sector , and the labor market . Not to mention the impact of violence on women's empowerment , as looking at the impact and the role of violence against women in the promotion of self alienation , this in addition to strengthening the power and control and domination of the man , also affects women's independence and sovereignty , through the use of material historical method , and discusses the relationship of the legal structure of political violence against women , and to address the role of social forces in the political empowerment of women , and the impact of violence by the occupation forces on the political participation of women and their role in the political development . The conclusion summarizes the most important findings and recommendations reached by the researcher , thus , the study concluded that Palestinian women exposed to a kind of marginalization deliberate her social role and her real status , in the development process , as has been suffering from double violence against them by the community first, and by the occupation . It must be pointed out that violence against women is one of the most prominent of the major factors affecting the sustainability of the process of political development, and deployment , and teleological goals . As noted by addressing the role of institutions and centers of civil society over the deficiencies in the study ,and treatment of the phenomenon of violence against women , but this does not mean that detract from the importance of its vital role in the process of building Palestinian civil society , along with a lack of constitutional articles, that are looking at and dealing with the phenomenon of violence against women in an integrated manner . Therefore, the main recommendation in this study is concentrated in the need to reconsider the personal status law ,of civil affairs in the Palestinian territories , and activating the role of the Legislative Council , in addition to the development of programs and policies aimed at empowering women in all fields, and activating its role , particularly in the field of human development in general and political development in particular, where a woman's right to enjoy the citizenship of any inter rights guaranteed by the law ,and the Constitution as well as the performance of their duties requires, expanding the base of participation of women , that will enhance the principle or the term of citizenship . The researcher also found that it should be mainstreamed matrix indicators of the phenomenon of violence against women - which is the product of personal effort – on institutions and developed it ,in order to activate and develop mechanisms, to measure violence against women, which contributes to its reduction.