/ Psychosocial Care for Women and Children
Women who are victims of violence and children traumatised by war can turn to the Palestinian Working Women's Society for Development PWWSD in Gaza for help and attend group or individual therapy sessions. This project was launched after the war in Gaza by cfd and her partner organisation PWWSD.
In Gaza, many mothers worry about children showing severe behavioural disorders, one of the effects of the war that lasted from December 2008 until January 2009. Many of these women are overburdened, trying to cope on their own after the death of a breadwinner has made them destitute. Gaza is pervaded by an atmosphere of violence, made worse for the people by being walled in.
Group and Individual Therapy for Traumatised Women and Children
There are six social workers and psychologists who work with women in groups and individually. The women are guided through the processes of grieving and learn to regain some self-confidence. Often they join forces, working through their problems together in mutual support.
The children join special play groups where they learn to deal with fear and aggression by using creative methods like painting, singing or sports, and learning to establish a more normal relationship to the world around them. After an initial assessment, some of them are assigned to specialised institutions, for example if they are physically disabled or orphans.
A total of over 800 women and 400 children participated in this project in 2009.
Free Help line
Parallel to the project in Gaza, the PWWSD offices in Ramallah and Nablus have organised emergency telephone numbers that can be reached by Palestinians in Gaza at no cost and at any time.
In this way, they receive initial support and are referred to the PWWSD offices in Gaza, or else simply invited to talk about whatever is troubling them. Hundreds of men and women use the help lines and are able to speak to a patient and competent listener who is able to give professional advice. This amounts to a form of "first aid" for people in need, a preliminary to finding long-term personal aid.
PWWSD has published a new edition of her handbook on emergency help line counselling. This is distributed to NGO's in Palestine and helps people in various professions to improve their skills in dealing with traumatised people.
Lobbying with Personal Stories
In the course of the year, over 80 personal stories and testimonies were collected from women suffering the effects of war. These statements will be laid before the UNO High Commissioner for Human Rights, section Women's Rights, in order to substantiate demands for the implementation of human rights and the rights of women.
