Violence against women continues in the Arab world

Amnesty International (Amnesty) said that despite some limited reforms, women in the Arab world continue to face “deep and violent discrimination on a daily basis”.

In her statement, published on the occasion of the celebration of International Women’s Day, she indicated that this stems from the serious failure of the government to put an end to the arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, assassinations, so-called “murders of” honor “and other forms of gender-based violence.

The outbreak of the “Covid-19” epidemic has led some countries to report a high number of cases of domestic violence and calls to helplines due to prolonged isolation at home during mass closures and curfews.

“Across the Middle East and North Africa, many women and girls continue to struggle in their lives with the daily reality of violence in the home or on the streets,” said Heba Morayef, regional director for the Middle East. -Orient and North Africa to Amnesty International.

According to the organization, in recent years, several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region have made limited progress in the area of ​​women’s rights at the legislative and institutional levels, such as the guardianship of men in Arabia. Arabia lifting the ban on women. driving cars and setting up a complaints mechanism for victims of domestic violence in Tunisia; and providing shelter for people exposed to “honor killings” in Jordan.

Throughout the Western Maghreb, legal provisions have been introduced to combat violence against women, including a “landmark” 2017 law in Tunisia to protect women from all forms of gender-based violence.

Yet, Amnesty says, this progress has been overshadowed by the continued violence and unjust discrimination women face, especially in matters of marriage, inheritance and child custody. It has been undermined by the poor implementation of reforms and the constant denial of the role and capacity of women to represent themselves.

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