For nearly twenty years, the Center for Women’s Legal Research, Counseling and Protection (CWLRCP) has been working to protect and empower vulnerable and marginalized women by defending their rights and facilitating their access to justice. It is now considered one of the leading local organizations specializing in legal assistance for women and the promotion of equality, and it operates the only safe shelter for survivors of violence in the Gaza Strip.
A center open 24 hours a day
The CWLRCP runs the Hayat Center, the only safe shelter for survivors of violence in the Gaza Strip. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even during periods of bombardment and extreme shortages, this center provides shelter, protection, psychological support, and legal assistance to women and their children.
Despite the closure of courts and the partial collapse of institutions since the start of the war, the center has continued to assist survivors, thereby helping to limit the escalation of violence and precariousness.
The organization primarily serves women who are victims and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), but also children, youth, couples, and community leaders. It offers comprehensive support: legal consultations, family mediation, individual and group psychosocial support, case management, awareness-raising workshops, and economic empowerment programs…
Continuing to provide shelter and support amid the bombings
The Hayat Center was severely damaged during the 2024 bombings and then completely destroyed by fire. Despite these serious challenges, CWLRCP staff immediately took steps to rehabilitate and restore the center, enabling it to resume its activities. At the same time, the organization relocated the Hayat Center to a new, safer location in order to continue welcoming women in vulnerable situations and providing them with comprehensive protection and support services.
In a context marked by mass displacement, poverty, and rising domestic violence, the CWLRCP’s work is indispensable. By maintaining its services despite security risks, power outages, and a lack of resources, the association serves as a pillar of protection for thousands of women and children in Gaza.
Its feminist approach, grounded in human rights, participation, equality, and empowerment, not only helps protect survivors but also strengthens the resilience of Gazan society as a whole.
Advocating for better protection of women victims of violence
Founded in 2006 by a group of lawyers and activists engaged in legal, social, and community work, the CWLRCP is an independent Palestinian non-governmental organization based in the Gaza Strip.
The organization runs three main programs: protection and empowerment, advocacy and research, and capacity-building and training. Its work focuses on harmonizing Palestinian legislation with international standards on women’s rights and strengthening the skills of social and legal professionals in Gaza.
The center relies on a multidisciplinary team of 52 professionals, including lawyers, psychologists, social workers, program managers, case workers, and coordinators. This team has developed its expertise through training and exchanges of experiences with similar centers in the West Bank, the 1948 territories, and several Arab countries, notably Morocco and Jordan.