The Role of Social Media Lobbying and Advocacy Campaigns in the Formulation of Public Policies in the West Bank Regarding Crimes of Violence Against Women
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Date
2021-01-28
Authors
Maali, Fatina
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Publisher
جامعة النجاح الوطنية
Abstract
According to the United Nations reports, more than 37% of women in the Arab world have experienced domestic violence. Latest statistics available on Palestine maintain that almost of 46% of the participants have experienced emotional violence and more than 21% have experienced a physical violence across their lifetime . Various cultural, economic and social factors, including social shame and fear on family image, contribute to women’s reluctance to denounce these acts and speak up. However, the official responses still lack behind.
The specific objective of this study is to examine and unravel the role of social media lobbying and advocacy campaigns in the formulation of public policies in the West Bank, Palestine regarding crimes of violence against women. To achieve this purpose, the researcher employed in-depth structural interviews using the snow-balling technique. The final sample consisted of 9 women associations, 7 media professionals, 3 academics, and 3 activists. The researcher developed two interviews. The first one consisted of 13 questions that were designated for women associations. The second one comprised 7 questions specially designed for media professionals, academics, and activists.
The 20 questions of both interviews were then contracted under five themes. The five themes correspond to the main questions of the study: the issues lobbyist and advocacy campaigns concentrate on the most, the contributions of these campaigns, the effects these campaigns achieved, the factors that distinguish an issue over another, and the nature of these campaigns. The data then was collected and analyzed. The results show that social media lobbying and advocacy campaigns are concerned with violent crimes against women in all their forms. Lobbying and advocacy campaigns contributed to the amending of laws like the law of marriage in the West Bank. These campaigns had some effect on public policies and mobilizing the masses. The focus on an issue over another is governed by financial and human resources, timing and the instrument of a crime, and the means of exposure. Finally, lobbying and advocacy campaigns are considered seasonal. In light of the results of this study, the researcher recommended the following, lobbying and advocacy campaigns must be unified and well-planned among all women's associations to preserve women's rights to obtain protection from all forms of violence, there should be an outline for a well-planned program that governs the nature of these campaigns for example choosing the appropriate timing, means, content, and participants.
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Keywords
lobbying and advocacy, violent crimes against women, contributions, public policies, mobilizing masses, West Bank