I. INTRODUCTION
1. This report presents grave concerns regarding the human rights situation in occupied Gaza since the last report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the UN Human Rights Council, and covers a period of six months, from 1 November 2023, when the last Human Rights Council report covered the events on the ground,1 up to 30 April 2024.2 The report is based on monitoring and documentation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The High Commissioner has asked Israel for access to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) in order to investigate human rights violations on and since 7 October 2023, pursuant to its mandate, which so far has not been granted.
Archiv: women / Frauen
Nearly 70 percent of people killed in Gaza women and children, UN finds
The majority of civilians killed in the Gaza Strip have been women and children, a UN report found Friday. The UN also found that 80 percent of all verified deaths in Gaza had occurred in Israeli attacks on residential buildings or similar housing, and that children aged five to nine made up the largest group of victims.
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The report also tackled the contentious issue of the proportion of civilians among the nearly 43,500 people killed in Gaza so far, according to the health ministry in the Palestinian territory.
Tell the Women of the Senate: Arms Embargo NOW!
During the DNC in Chicago, we made our demand for an arms embargo on Israel clear. Time and time again, we heard politicians — including Sen. Tammy Duckworth who told us back in October that she would continue sending weapons to Israel — posing as advocates for women and reproductive rights while arming Israel. They can’t hide from one undeniable fact: Genocide is not feminist.
Send a letter to the women of the Senate below and tell them: We Need an Arms Embargo on Israel NOW!
AP PHOTOS: Women mark International Women’s Day by taking part in efforts to combat discrimination
Women around the globe marked International Women’s Day on Friday, taking part in strikes, marches and demonstrations that underscored efforts to combat discrimination and accelerate the drive for gender parity.
The event, first celebrated in 1911, traces its roots to the early struggles for equal pay and votes for women.
War on Gaza: ‚My unborn baby was dead before I even knew the gender‘
The walk seemed endless. It felt like we were not in Gaza any more. Nothing looked recognisable. We were walking in a wasteland with snipers, tanks, and soldiers all around amid the mass destruction.
Since I have a prosthetic knee and I was pregnant, I could not catch up with the rest. I had to stop every hour to rest, which made the journey altogether even harder for me and my children.
When we reached the Israel-erected checkpoint along the route, it beeped as I passed it.
I knew it was because of my prosthetic knee and that’s what I told the soldiers, but they did not care. …
Sexual abuse and beatings: A Palestinian mother‘s ordeal in Israeli custody
The group of women spent 11 days in this facility, during which Hussain was taken for interrogation twice, an experience no less traumatising.
„They asked me many questions about my family, my husband and my siblings,“ Hussain recalled.
„The soldiers kept threatening to hurt my children, shouting at me that if I don‘t tell the truth, they will torture and kill my kids.
„They kept asking about my brothers and sisters. One of my brothers is a lawyer and two others are professors and one is a doctor and one barber. They are working people, they have no connection to anything else. They kept insisting that they were ‚activists‘, and when I asked what they meant, they said I knew the answer.
„During the interrogations, they tied me to a chair and a female soldier stood next to me, kicking me and shoving me with her weapon to answer properly.
„They also asked about my social media accounts and I told them I only had Facebook. They threatened they would keep watching me on it.“
After suffering in this undisclosed detention facility for 11 days, Hussain was then moved again, this time to a prison…….
Israel/oPt: UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls
(19.02.2024)
Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said.
The experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October. Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food.
“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.
Women Wage Peace: Mission Statement
The movement Women Wage Peace functions on the basis of these ten principles:
1
All actions serve to further the two goals of the movement, a negotiated agreement ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with full participation of women in all aspects of peace making and ensuring security. Thus member(s) must present a rationale for every activity she/they wish to include in WWP’s yearly program.
2
We refrain from criticism including criticism of political leaders, and support positive action directed toward negotiation of a peaceful resolution of the conflict. This approach is based on the belief that action to further a political agreement is both possible and beneficial for the future of Israel.
3
We are non-partisan; the movement’s purpose is to create a consensus among the majority of Israeli citizens, regardless of their political affiliations or loyalties, in the belief that we all have common interests, desires and needs for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We do not, therefore, support any political party or individual identified with any party and we do not campaign on behalf of any individual or party.
Machsom Watch: About us
In January 2001, three Jewish Jerusalemite women first saw a military checkpoint in the West Bank and obeyed their conscience. From this point, MachsomWatch grew as an organization whose members are women of all walks of life in Israeli society. Within two years our number rose from 75 to 500, women were thoroughly convinced that with our activity we would put an end to the occupation.
We have no administration, are all volunteers and our decisions are made by voting in a plenary meeting.
Itach Ma`aki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice: About Us
Itach Ma’aki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice was established in 2001 to give voice to women subject to social, geographic, national, ethnic and economic discrimination in Israeli society.
The Association’s vision is that Israeli law will reflect the unique perspectives of women from all social groups and ensure that they are able to fully exercise their rights.
Mothers Against Violence: About us
Mothers Against Violence (MAV) are an Israeli network of women activists opposing the occupation and Israeli militarism from a feminine maternal perspective, training Israeli women to form local chapters of resistance and influence family and community members to refuse to participate in military service in the occupied territories.
Head of doctors’ protests says Israel in a ‘dystopic reality’
“Health workers in Israel oppose discrimination in treatment. We are currently in a dystopic reality. The Israeli government is controlled by dangerous extremists that support discrimination against women, the elderly, Arabs, secular people and homosexuals,” Levine who is also chairman of the country’s Association of Public Health Physicians, says.
Knesset Okays ‘Sexual Terrorism’ Racist Law
(03.08.2023)
Sponsored by a group of lawmakers led by MK Limor Son Har Melech, from the racist coalition faction Otzma Yehudit, and MK Yulia Malinovsky from right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beytenu, the new law marked a rare case of cross-Knesset alignment and passed 39 to 7 on its final reading.
Sharp criticism of the law quickly came in from Hadash-Ta’al lawmakers and Israel’s rape crisis center umbrella organization, with both alleging the law improperly creates a ranking of the severity of such crimes. Hadash-Ta’al MK Aida Touma-Sliman, a former head of the Knesset’s Women’s Status Committee, told the Knesset: “Do not punish according to hierarchies and classifications.” “Shame on these laws,” she continued, tweeting after the law passed, “Don’t promote racism on the backs of victims!”
Israeli Minister Accuses AG of Delaying Gender-segregated Parks Pilot Panned by Justice Ministry
Silman wrote a letter to Baharav-Miara on Wednesday, stating that the project had been initiated „following appeals by Haredi and Arab communities.“
However, it has come to light that an extreme right-wing organization has significantly influenced this project.
Exclusive: Pilot program for gender-segregated bathing gets underway
(01.08.2023)
The program, which seeks to touch on a sensitive issue as more religious circle call for segregated bathing hours while liberal groups see this as a slipper slope toward the sidelining of women, will not impact the existing arraignment for mixed-gender bathers as it will take place only between 6 pm to 9 pm and later. Israeli natural springs are usually closed for bathers by 5 p.m.
Was jetzt auf die Türkei zukommt
Am Wahlabend gestand Kilicdaroglu zwar indirekt seine Niederlage ein und zweifelte auch die Ergebnisse nicht an, doch bekräftigte er, weiter an der Spitze des Kampfes stehen zu wollen, bis „echte Demokratie“ Einzug halte. Beobachter und Beobachterinnen befürchten, dass Erdogan fortan noch autoritärer regieren wird. Noch härteres Vorgehen gegen Kritikerinnen und Kritiker, weitere Einschränkungen der Meinungsfreiheit und auch Rückschritte bei Frauenrechte werden erwartet.
The Victims of Israel‘s Airstrikes in Gaza, Named
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Israel launched an airstrike on the Gaza Strip, killing 13 Palestinians, including three senior Islamic Jihad officials.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says that 10 of the 13 victims were civilians, including four women and three children.
Supreme Court protects access to abortion pill
lawyer for the group of doctors who brought the challenge downplayed the order. “As is common practice, the Supreme Court has decided to maintain the status quo,” Erik Baptist, a lawyer for Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement.
“Our case seeking to put women’s health above politics continues on an expedited basis in the lower courts,” Baptist added. “We look forward to a final outcome in this case that will hold the FDA accountable.”
Supreme Court pauses abortion pill restrictions from taking effect during appeal
The justices, in a brief order, said they will put on hold a ruling from a Texas federal judge while the Biden administration’s appeal proceeds.
The decision is a temporary victory for the Biden administration that for now, keeps the Food and Drug Administration’s authority on drug approvals.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, two of the court’s conservatives, said they would have denied the request for a pause.
Feminist activists wearing gowns & headdresses from Handmaid‘s Tale are blocking Kaplan Street in central Tel Aviv to protest against Netanyahu‘s efforts to subjugate Israel‘s judiciary
Augsburg gegen Demonstrationsfreiheit: „Mit einer liberalen Demokratie nicht zu vereinbaren“
Als die Augsburgerin Michaela Strattner im März 2022 eine Frauenrechtsdemonstration anmeldete, verfügte die städtische Versammlungsbehörde strenge Auflagen. Sogar das Spielen von Musik und die Lautstärke von gerufenen Parolen beschränkte die Stadt. Nach Ansicht der Polizei hielt sich die Demo zum Frauentag nicht an alle Auflagen, die Polizei zeigte Strattner an.
Das Amtsgericht Augsburg verhängte daraufhin einen Strafbefehl in Höhe von 1.200 Euro gegen die Anmelderin. Dagegen wehrt sich Michaela Strattner, am Donnerstag findet die Verhandlung statt.
Israel‘s national security adviser praises Iran protests
Israel‘s National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata on Sunday addressed the ongoing protests in Iran during a security conference in Bahrain‘s capital Manama.
Speaking directly to Iranian women in Farsi, he said that „women‘s lives are important.“
Israel‘s Religious and Far-right Parties Demand Law to Legitimize Gender Segregation
In exchange for joining the coalition, the far-right Religious Zionism and United Torah Judaism parties have demanded legislation that gender separation at public events will not be considered discrimination. Likud has not yet decided whether to grant the demand.
Menstrual changes after Covid vaccines may be far more common than previously known
(July 15, 2022)
A study found that 42% of people with regular menstrual cycles said they bled more heavily than usual after their Covid vaccination.
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The new survey started in April 2021, around the time people began to report unexpected bleeding and heavier flow post-vaccine. However, these anecdotes were at the time met with the rebuttal that there was no data linking menstrual changes to vaccination.
That was both true and indicative of a larger problem. Individuals who took part in Covid vaccine trials were not asked if they experienced menstrual changes.
COVID-19 vaccines linked to small increase in menstrual cycle length
(January 25, 2022)
The study was funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and Office of Research on Women’s Health. Results appeared in Obstetrics & Gynecology on January 5, 2022.
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The team found that women who received a COVID-19 vaccine had an average increase in cycle length of nearly one day for each dose. Among women who received a two-dose vaccine, the first dose was associated with a 0.71-day increase in cycle length and the second dose with a 0.91-day increase. After adjustment for age, race and ethnicity, BMI, education, and other factors, the change in cycle length was still less than one day for each dose.
Receiving two vaccine doses within the same menstrual cycle increased the cycle length further—about two days on average. Women’s cycle lengths often fluctuate, and experts consider cycle variation of up to eight days to be normal. The longer menstrual cycles after vaccination decreased in subsequent cycles, suggesting they are likely temporary. The researchers did not find any effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the number of menstrual bleeding days.
Frauenkampftag in Wien: Demo kritischer Feministinnen
Am internationalen Frauenkampftag, dem 8. März, fanden in Wien zwei Demonstrationen statt. Eine große, „woke“ und eine kleine, „radikale“. Wir liefern Stoff von letzterer, zu der die autonomen FrauenLesben des FZ (Frauenzentrum) Wien zur Kundgebung und anschließenden Demonstration aufriefen. Der Spaltung der Szene sei ein eigener Beitrag gewidmet – hier jedenfalls ein Video von der Demo, mit Eindrücken und Inhalten der Redebeiträge:
Den Rednerinnen gegenüber stand eine Menge von rund 50-60 Personen, mit fortschreitender Zeit wurden es etwas mehr. Inhalte der Beiträge waren u.a. die prekäre Lage von Frauen seit Corona, die durch die Corona-Maßnahmen zur Arbeitszeitreduktion und „zur Rückkehr an den Herd“ gezwungen wurden, die in schlechtbezahlten Jobs (Gesundheitsbereich) unter hohen Belastungen arbeiten, die zu Tausenden ihre Jobs verloren haben und von Armut betroffen sind. Auch ein Thema der Redebeiträge war der Krieg in der Ukraine – nicht ohne Kritik an EU, USA und insbesondere der NATO.
Women say they are having heavier and more painful PERIODS since getting their COVID-19 vaccines – as several claim it has also messed up their monthly cycle
(7 April 2021)
In February, officials looked at nearly 7,000 reactions reported to the agency‘s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
They found that nearly 80 percent of the reactions were reported by women, making them four times more likely to report a side effect than men.
This held true whether they were receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the Moderna vaccine, and is despite the fact that women are less likely to fall severely ill from COVID-19 than men are.
EU investigates reports of menstrual disorders after mRNA COVID shots
(February 11, 2022)
The European Medicines Agency‘s safety committee said on Friday it was reviewing reports of heavy menstrual bleeding and absence of menstruation from women who had received COVID vaccines from Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech (22UAy.DE)and Moderna (MRNA.O).
Dame Cressida Dick forced to quit Met Police after string of Scotland Yard scandals
But it comes after Scotland Yard has been rocked by multiple scandals in recent months, including the force‘s handling of partygate, Sarah Everard‘s murder and repeated claims of a culture of misogyny and racism.
Women’s Periods May Be Late After Coronavirus Vaccination, Study Suggests
A study published on Thursday found that women’s menstrual cycles did indeed change following vaccination against the coronavirus. The authors reported that women who were inoculated had slightly longer menstrual cycles after receiving the vaccine than those who were not vaccinated.
Their periods themselves, which came almost a day later on average, were not prolonged, however, and the effect was transient, with cycle lengths bouncing back to normal within one or two months.
Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons
(April 21, 2021)
Among 3958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy, of which 115 (13.9%) were pregnancy losses and 712 (86.1%) were live births (mostly among participants vaccinated in the third trimester).
COVID-19: More than 13,000 women report changes to periods after having vaccine but experts say fertility not affected
(7 July 2021)
The number of women reporting changes to their menstrual cycle linked to having a COVID vaccine has risen to 13,000.
The figure has increased from around 4,000 women last month.
US-Studie: CoV-Impfung verzögert Periode bei Frauen leicht
Laut der gestern in dem Fachjournal „Obstetrics & Gynecology“ veröffentlichten Studie setzte bei geimpften Frauen die Blutung etwa einen Tag später ein als bei ungeimpften Frauen.
Die Dauer der Monatsblutung wurde demnach jedoch nicht beeinflusst. Den Forschern zufolge sind die Auswirkungen der Impfung auf die Periode gering und voraussichtlich nur vorübergehend.
Stiko spricht sich für Corona-Impfung von Schwangeren und Stillenden aus
(10.09.2021)
Laut einem Beschlussentwurf der Ständigen Impfkommission (Stiko) sollten sich bisher ungeimpfte Schwangere ab dem zweiten Schwangerschaftsdrittel sowie Stillende mit zwei Dosen eines mRNA-Impfstoffs schützen, wie das Robert-Koch-Institut am Freitag in Berlin mitteilte.
Head of US FDA’s advisory group: ‘We never expected Covid vaccines to be so good, so effective’
(25 Dec 2021)
In an interview with the Guardian, Monto considered both this possible future – in which Covid-19 “is not going away, in spite of how well our vaccines perform” – and an incredible and perplexing year of vaccine distribution.
“The first thing is [that] we never expected our vaccines to be so good, so effective,” said Monto. “This was a very happy surprise to everybody – and it was a surprise.”
Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons
(April 21, 2021)
Among 3958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy, of which 115 (13.9%) were pregnancy losses and 712 (86.1%) were live births (mostly among participants vaccinated in the third trimester).
Fact Check-Data from a study does not conclude that over 80% of pregnancies end in miscarriage after COVID-19 vaccinations; figures taken out of context
(04.08.2021)
Of the 3,958 participants, 827 had what the study defines as a ‘completed pregnancy’. This term includes those who either had a baby (what the authors call a ‘live birth’), or those who suffered from a miscarriage or still birth (termed ‘pregnancy loss’ in the study). The rest were either still pregnant or a follow-up had not yet been made by the time the preliminary analysis had been released.
Of the 827 women who had a completed pregnancy, 104 had a miscarriage.
One in 5 women in survey said menstrual cycles changed after Covid jab
(05 December 2021)
One in five women who took part in a survey said their menstrual cycles were affected after they received a covid jab, UK researchers have revealed.
However there was no evidence of the vaccine causing long-term disruption to their periods or affecting their fertility.
Researchers at Harvard, BU to study possible links between coronavirus vaccines and changes in menstruation
(September 9, 2021)
Harvard Medical School and the Boston University School of Public Health are among a group of institutions awarded funding to study potential links between coronavirus vaccinations and changes in menstruation.
Researchers at five institutions were awarded a total of $1.67 million by the National Institutes of Heath to look into the question after anecdotal reports from women earlier this year that after they were vaccinated, they saw changes, including earlier, heavier, and more painful periods.