Leading the Fight: WIZO’s Commitment to Ending Violence Against Women

Dear Friends, Women of WIZO,

In recent days, Israel, like the rest of the world, marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day is led by the UN in response to the immense global phenomenon of more than 50,000 women murdered each year by a family member. Needless to say, we see justice and importance in this struggle, which for one moment brings our own fight to the center of the public stage. For at least one day, public awareness of the issue is heightened, attention is directed toward research and knowledge, tools for treatment and individual support are presented, and the public calls on government authorities to take practical action. This issue is one of WIZO’s oldest and most important missions, and November 25th is a central date on our organizational calendar.

But how unfortunate that this year, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Reem Alsalem, chose, ahead of this important day, to stand publicly alongside the rapists and murderers of Hamas, declaring that no acts of sexual violence were committed on October 7th. Her statements come despite hundreds and thousands of testimonies and pieces of evidence of the severe sexual violence committed by Hamas, both on the day of the massacre itself and against the hostages held in Gaza.

Her words are yet another stain that cannot be erased from this antisemitic, hypocritical, and unnecessary organization, an organization for whom lies have become a guiding principle, and whose anti-Israel incitement has become its central mission. We can only express our disgust and revulsion at the conduct of an organization that has abandoned fairness and balance, losing all of its values for the sake of one singular objective: hatred of Israel and support for terrorism against Jews.

Meanwhile, WIZO has announced that this year will be the 13th and final year in which we publish the WIZO Violence Index. This index, which compiled data on violence against women and on the treatment of victims, was originally created to fill a need that the official authorities were not providing: an organized, institutionalized compilation of data and an assessment of how effective government policy was in addressing the phenomenon. Yet even after all these years, no government body has taken on this responsibility, and more than that, collecting data from the various authorities has become increasingly difficult, to the point where some government ministries refuse to cooperate with the report’s authors or provide the requested information.

And so, we are forced to step back from the tradition we created, but we will in no way fold the flags of our struggle. We will continue to initiate, lead, and break new ground in this field: raising public awareness, promoting the establishment of a national authority to address domestic violence, making data accessible to the public, advancing legislation to support prevention, enforcement, and rehabilitation, producing events and professional gatherings, operating therapeutic frameworks — foremost among them WIZO’s two shelters for victims of violence — and running our helplines for the public. Our extensive work in this area is a flagship moral mission of the highest importance, and its place at the top of the organization’s priorities, both now and in the future, is assured.

With great gratitude and appreciation to all our partners,

Anat Vidor, World WIZO President

Anita Friedman,  World WIZO Chairperson