Yatta – a US delegation visited the Hebron office of the Palestinian Working Women Society for Development in Yatta. Among their visit was a tour of Susya, a village in southern Hebron under threat of demolition and expulsion. The delegation aimed to examine the Israeli violations of human rights in the village.
PWWSD program director, Dr. Reham Alhelsi, introduced the US delegation to the organization’s history and its various programs and activities. Programs that aim to empower women politically, socially, and economically. As well as exposing violence against women perpetrated by the Israeli occupation, in addition to violence and discrimination within Palestinian society.
Sahar Zmaarh, resident psychologist at PWWSD, talked about one of the organization’s projects. An initiative that advocates for psychological well-being and healthcare rights of women and children in marginalized Palestinian communities in southern Hebron. The project seeks to raise awareness, provide necessary information, offer individual and family counseling, establish free counseling hotlines, and organize support groups. Counselors mainly utilize drama and reenactment to teach defense and safety techniques in order to empower women against violence.
The delegation’s visit to Susya village, which is threatened to be demolished, made visible the suffering of Susya people in general and women in particular. The conditions in the village are due to poverty, unemployment, and Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian lands for the construction of illegal settlements.
During their visit, the delegation participated in two workshops. One was about the psychological well-being of the village women, where they conveyed the positive impact of the activities implemented through the organization’s project on their mental health and day-to-day lives. The second workshop was an activity for the children attending Susya Elementary School. This workshop included mobility-related activities and freehand drawing and painting, as well as a showcase of the children’s artwork and a discussion of their paintings.
The delegation showed their deepest sympathy with the Palestinian people and their just cause. In turn, the children and women of Susya expressed their gratitude for the delegation’s support.