IWD24 interview: Ohaila Shomar, Palestine
Ohaila Shomar
General Director, Sawa Organization, Palestine
Ohaila (she/her), is a human rights activist, an expert trainer in gender-based violence (GBV), and has developed anti-violence programs and published manuals on eliminating violence against women and children. She established five helplines for women survivors of violence and a child protection helpline in Palestine and the MENA region; she also consults with national and international organizations working on women’s and children’s issues and against violence and has published a number of research works.
Ohaila is also CHI´s Middle East and North Africa Regional Representative on the Supervisory Board, CAP international board member, FHN Advocacy Committee member, Board member for ECPAT International, Advisory Committee member for World Vision Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza.
Learn more about Sawa, Palestine
What does feminism mean to you in 2024?
”Feminism means understanding that all people (regardless of gender, age, level of ability, or other factors) must be treated equitably and with dignity under the law and in informal society (including education, economic activity, cultural activity, and family and private life), given equal chances to achieve, have their choices respected, and be protected from harm and discrimination. It is also a recognition that the risks and barriers people face differ depending on their gender, while taking into account that race, ethnicity, religion, class, sexuality, and other aspects of identity also affect people of any gender.
Feminism, for Sawa, as a Palestinian organization, further means recognizing that women in Sawa’s home country face a number of barriers specific to their cultural, economic, and political situation.
Women and girls all over Palestine face a patriarchal attitude that views them as less valuable, sees their place as only within the private sphere, and uses them as “tokens” without affording them true social or political power. If they suffer sexual or domestic abuse, their trauma is normalized, or they face blame, or violent consequences if they speak up.
Feminist thinking must always take into account the intersectional circumstances of women and girls, while showing respect for their essential humanity.”
If you could raise more awareness about a humanitarian issue or context what would it be ?
“Sawa would like to raise awareness of the need for evenly-applied respect for human rights, to remind the world that all human rights principles apply to Palestinians as much as they do to others. Palestinians are denied the very basics needed to survive and thrive—food, healthcare, education, protection, and more. While many world governments proclaim themselves proponents of human rights, a lack global action in the face of the worsening situation in Gaza demonstrates otherwise.
Palestinian women in Gaza, today, face all the dangers of the current war, combined with particular dangers because of their gender. Pregnant women regularly give birth in unsanitary conditions, where their and their newborns’ needs cannot be adequately met. Parents call Sawa’s Helpline in states of fear because they (or their wives, in the case of men), cannot nurse, due to the effects of fear and malnutrition on the body. Those who suffer complications during childbirth cannot access appropriate medical care. C-sections are performed without anesthesia.
Resources for new mothers and their children, such as warm blankets and formula, are severely limited. Nine children have died of dehydration and malnutrition. Women and girls, like all displaced Gazans, face the loss of their homes, their jobs, schooling opportunities, and businesses, and their family support systems. Some are widowed, facing life without a partner, or orphaned, with no parents to support them. Sawa’s Helpline has received calls from grieving parents who had found their own children under the rubble of bombed buildings. They live in overcrowded shelters, without protection from sexual violence, or private and protected access to bathroom and shower facilities. They lack access to menstrual care products.”
What do you think is currently the biggest obstacle to achieving gender justice?
“Discrimination and lack of equality must be overcome before we can achieve gender justice. Norms and laws cannot effectively change until societies view all their members as equal. For gender justice to become a reality here in Palestine, the occupation must end, so that all Palestinians, regardless of gender, may live free of oppression by the occupying force, and, thus, able to put their energy toward building a truly safe, equal and just society.”
What does being a member of the Feminist Humanitarian Network mean to you?
“Membership in FHN means an opportunity to make connections all over the world, exchange knowledge and perspectives, and speak in a collective voice about our shared principles and priorities, as the Network comprises individuals and organizations working for feminist causes in diverse areas of the world. The FHN can also help women-led organizations to improve dialogue with donors to better advocate for our particular needs and educate them about our context.”
What happening in the world today, gives you the most hope that we can one day achieve a fairer and more equal world?
“Our hope comes from the persistence and resilience we see among those struggling to ensure equality, dignity, safety, and thriving, for all people.”
Ins for 2024?
“Humanity”
Outs for 2024?
“Violence”