Al-Hara Theatre in Beit Jala, in partnership with the PSCCW, presented a theatrical performance titled “Your White Penny” as part of the Young Women for Awareness, Advocacy, and Accountability (YW4A) programme.
Mirna Sakhla wrote and directed the performance, which centered on domestic violence and starred Hadeel Al-Takrouri, Abdullah Banoura, and Nicola Zreineh. Issam Rishmawi created the decor and techniques, while Marina Barham managed the production.
In her PSCCW speech, Media coordinator and (YW4A) project coordinator Mrs. Saja Abu Aker emphasized this theatrical performance as part of the project’s efforts to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence, which has worsened since the war on the Gaza Strip has begun and its subsequent repercussions on the West Bank. In addition, Abu Aker addressed that the performance has underlined the challenges faced by young women in Palestinian society, as an attempt to reduce the spread of domestic violence. She added also that the strategic goal of the program is to advocate for the rights of young women to dignity and physical safety, equal participation in decision-making, and the expansion of these rights through the implementation of public policies and laws that ensure gender justice.
Nikola Zrina, a representative from “The Street Theatre,” has stated that the play highlighted the issue of women’s economic rights, specifically what is known as “economic violence.” This form of violence is one of the hidden types, rarely discussed compared to physical or verbal abuse.
Zrina has also pointed out that economic violence involves the husband’s control over the woman’s financial resources, citing cases where men are unemployed due to political circumstances, while women are the breadwinner of the family. Despite this, their income is controlled, and they are forced to write checks in their names.
Zrina continued, saying: “In our play, we decided to shine a light on this form of violence, which is not only relevant to women but affects society as a whole. It is important for everyone to attend events like this because the issue represents an interconnected cycle, and everyone is part of it.”
Following the play, attorney Lara Abu Srour, one of the young women participating in the program, presented a legal paper on the issue of domestic violence. Abu Srour explained that the importance of the paper lies in the urgent need for legislation that provides the necessary protection for families and limits violence in all its forms.
The Young Women’s Christian Association in Palestine (YWCA) implements the Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Advocacy, and Accountability (YW4A) program in partnership with the Psychosocial Counseling Center for Women (PSCCW), Al-Hara Theatre, the Young Women’s Christian Association – Jerusalem, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Lands.
YW4A is a five-year program, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and led by consortium partner World Young Women’s Christian Association (World YWCA), working in collaboration with YWCA Kenya, YWCA Palestine, Christian Agency For Peace And Development (CAPaD)- South Sudan, and Ibrahimia Media Center (IMC), Equality Now, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, and Faith to Action Network (F2A).
بيت لحم :
شارع القدس الخليل بجانب شركة الحلا
