Lina AbiRafeh
Lina AbiRafeh, PhD is a global women’s rights expert – speaker, advisor, author, academic, humanitarian aid worker – with three decades of experience in over 20 countries worldwide. She advises organizations and corporations, helping them build a better world for women. Lina frequently speaks on global stages such as TEDx and in the international media. She has published three books, numerous articles, and writes a weekly blog. Lina sits on various international boards and has received awards and recognitions for her work including the Gender Equality Top 100, and a range of prestigious fellowships.
For more information: www.LinaAbiRafeh.com
Articles by Lina AbiRafeh
08 December 2023
No freedom without reproductive freedom for Palestinian women
Conflict everywhere is a reproductive health and justice issue. This reality is acutely felt in Palestine, where women have faced barriers and systematic denial to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights since long before Israel’s declaration of war on the Gaza Strip in October. The consequences of this essential health care service denial exhibit gendered patterns disproportionately impacting aspects of women's sexual and reproductive health, such as pregnancy, childbirth, menstruation, contraceptive access and bodily autonomy. To be a woman in Gaza right now is to have your basic needs – and your life – relegated to the backseat. It’s not a coincidence that the vast majority of the more than 17,000 deaths in Gaza so far are women and children. The systematic denial of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Palestine - and the urgency in integrating these services into broader humanitarian responses in Gaza and the West Bank - is a crucial point of discussion. Palestinians have long been systematically denied their sexual and reproductive health and rights Prior to 7 October, around 94,000 Palestinian women lacked access to sexual and reproductive health services, as reported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Likewise, the UN had previously stated that restricted movement adversely affects maternity services, influences decisions regarding labor induction and c-sections, and deters postnatal care-seeking due to travel challenges.
08 December 2023
No freedom without reproductive freedom for Palestinian women
Conflict everywhere is a reproductive health and justice issue. This reality is acutely felt in Palestine, where women have faced barriers and systematic denial to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights since long before Israel’s declaration of war on the Gaza Strip in October. The consequences of this essential health care service denial exhibit gendered patterns disproportionately impacting aspects of women's sexual and reproductive health, such as pregnancy, childbirth, menstruation, contraceptive access and bodily autonomy. To be a woman in Gaza right now is to have your basic needs – and your life – relegated to the backseat. It’s not a coincidence that the vast majority of the more than 17,000 deaths in Gaza so far are women and children. The systematic denial of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Palestine - and the urgency in integrating these services into broader humanitarian responses in Gaza and the West Bank - is a crucial point of discussion. Palestinians have long been systematically denied their sexual and reproductive health and rights Prior to 7 October, around 94,000 Palestinian women lacked access to sexual and reproductive health services, as reported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Likewise, the UN had previously stated that restricted movement adversely affects maternity services, influences decisions regarding labor induction and c-sections, and deters postnatal care-seeking due to travel challenges.
