UN: Israel Must Ensure Equal Rights for Arab Women Citizens

(Nazareth, Israel) The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) issued its Concluding Observations on Israel in February 2011, in which it called on Israel to ensure equal rights of Arab women citizens (CEDAW/C/ISR/CO/5). The Concluding Observations (COs) followed the Committee's review of Israel's compliance with the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in January 2011 in Geneva. Representatives of the Working Group on the Status of Palestinian Women Citizens of Israel – Ms. Ola Najami-Yousef and Attorney Sana Ibn Bari – participated in the review session, presenting the joint NGO report submitted by the Working Group, as well as oral interventions before Committee members.

The Working Group raised a range of issues relating to the status of Palestinian women citizens of Israel in its report, many of which were adopted by the Committee, including equality before the law; home demolitions; discrimination against Bedouin women; violence against women; lack of adequate access to education and healthcare; the ban on family unification; the need to strengthen national machinery for the advancement of women; and the unequal participation of Palestinian women citizens in political and public life in Israel. The Committee also noted its concern at the Knesset's recent decision to form a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate the funding of human rights NGOs, including those promoting equality for women. It called on Israel to “ensure that civil society organizations and women's non-governmental organizations are not restricted with respect to their establishment and operations and that they are able to function independently” (COs 50-51). The Committee's Concluding Observations included the following:

• "The Committee remains concerned that the State party's Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty (1992)… does not contain a general provision on equality between women and men and the prohibition of both direct and indirect discrimination against women" (CO 10).
• Israel should "Enhance the awareness of all women, including Israeli Arab women… of their rights through, inter alia, legal literacy programmes and legal assistance" (CO 17).
• "The Committee expresses its concern at the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence against women and girls, particularly against women belonging to the minority communities"; Israel should "give priority attention to combating violence against women and girls and to adopt comprehensive measures to address such violence" (COs 20-21).
• "The 2003 Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law…continues to adversely affect the marriages and right to family life of Israeli Arab women citizens and Palestinian women from the Occupied Territories"; Israel should reconsider these policies "with a view to facilitating family reunification of all citizens and permanent residents" (COs 24-25).
• Home demolitions "have a serious impact on the development and advancement of Palestinian women, including…Israeli Arab women [sic], and on their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms"; Israel should "refrain from the practice of forced eviction and house demolitions" (COs 28-09).
• Israel should "Establish concrete goals and timetables so as to accelerate the increase in the representation of women, including Israeli Arab women, in elected and appointed bodies in all areas of public life" (CO 33).
• Israel should "Take the necessary measures… to reduce the drop-out rates of Israeli Arab and Bedouin girls and increase the number of Israeli Arab and Bedouin women at institutions of higher education," and "Review and revise textbooks, including in the Arab education system…in order to eradicate gender stereotypes" (CO 35).
• The Committee "is concerned that discrepancies remain in the infant as well as maternal mortality rates of Jewish, Israeli Arab and Bedouin women and children"; Israel should "take all necessary measures to ensure women's access to health care and health-related services (COs 38-39).
• "[T]he Committee reiterates its concern that Bedouin women remain in a disadvantaged and marginalized situation, especially with regard to education, employment and health, and their access to land. The Committee also reiterates its concern at the situation of Bedouin women who live in unrecognized villages with poor housing conditions and limited or no access to water, electricity and sanitation”; Israel should “take effective measures to eliminate discrimination against Bedouin women and to enhance respect for their human rights" (COs 44-45).

In addition, the CEDAW Committee made a large number of recommendations regarding Israeli violations of the rights of Palestinian women living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), in part in response to a further NGO report submitted by the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) in consultation with a number of women's and human rights organizations based in the OPT, including the observation that "the State party's view that the Convention is not applicable in the Occupied Territories is contrary to the views of the Committee and of other treaty bodies, including the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee against Torture and also of the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" (CO 12).

During the review session, representatives of the Working Group and NGOs from the OPT met with members of the Committee to discuss the NGO reports and Israel's Fifth Periodic Report to the Committee in more detail.

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The Working Group on the Status of Palestinian Women Citizens of Israel is a coalition of 14 feminist and human rights organizations that seeks to highlight issues of discrimination against Palestinian women in Israel in the international arena. The members of the Working Group are: Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel; Al-Tufula: Pedagogical and Multipurpose Women's Center; Al Zahraa: The Organization for the Advancement of Women; Assiwar – The feminist Arab Movement in Support Victims of Sexual Abuse; AWC – Arab Women in the Center; Kayan: A Feminist Organization; Ma'an – The Forum of Arab women's Organizations in the Negev; Mada Al-Carmel – Arab Center for Applied Social Research; Mossawa Center for the rights of the Arab citizens of Israel; Muntada – The Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health; Sidreh; The Working Group for Equality in Personal Status Issues; Women Against Violence (WAV); and Yasmin Al-Nagab for the health of women and family. Numerous members of the Working Group have been working before the CEDAW Committee since 1997, issuing reports on the status of Palestinian women citizens of Israel and participating in the review sessions on Israel.