Final Evaluation: Strengthening Accountability and Community Responsibility to Address Violence against Marginalized Palestinian Women (Palestine)

From August 2022 to October 2025, the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), in partnership with PYALARA, implemented an initiative to expand access to integrated legal, psychosocial, and protection services for women and girls at risk of or affected by violence. The initiative also aimed to strengthen youth and activist engagement, increase community awareness, and advance advocacy related to the Family Protection Law. Activities combined direct support with capacity building, media initiatives, and the development of tools such as virtual reality (VR) based awareness materials and feminist legal resources. 

The evaluation finds the initiative highly relevant and impactful. WCLAC delivered essential survivor‑centered legal aid, psychosocial support, and emergency protection, while PYALARA expanded community engagement through youth‑led media, digital storytelling, and VR‑based awareness tools. These combined efforts increased knowledge, shifted attitudes, and strengthened women’s ability to seek and navigate justice mechanisms. While achievements were significant, sustainability remains challenged by donor dependency and ongoing instability. 

Key findings 

• At the end of the project, 97% of women reported enhanced access to their rights and protection, and 92% were satisfied with services; 86% successfully navigated procedures enabling informed decision‑making. 
• 85% of community actors (increased from 15% at baseline) and 82% of the wider community participated in gender‑related initiatives; 80% reported increased knowledge and more positive attitudes toward women’s rights. 
• 139 young people and volunteers strengthened skills in gender, advocacy, and media. Youth created digital and VR‑based awareness tools, generating transferable models for future prevention work. 
• WCLAC’s advocacy contributed to renewed governmental engagement with the Family Protection Bill; the Minister of Women’s Affairs committed to supporting women’s protection and facilitating a new emergency shelter location, while WCLAC submitted a position paper to the Ministry to advance legal reform efforts. 
• Women under imminent threat accessed shelter and legal support, and WCLAC sustained safe, confidential services through helplines, case conferences, and coordinated referrals.