Protecting Children from Exploitation & Violence Begins with Early Intervention and an Integrated Protection System
Ramallah – On the occasion of the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that protecting children from all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect is one of its core responsibilities.
Through its specialized child protection teams across its directorates, the Ministry works to monitor children at risk, provide case management, conduct family assessments and follow-up, and facilitate referrals to specialized services, in coordination with government authorities, civil society organizations, and partners working in child protection.
During 2026, the Ministry also adopted unified procedures for managing women's and children's protection case files, aimed at accelerating response times, standardizing professional procedures, and improving the quality of protection services.
The Ministry provides protection services for children under the age of 18 who experience or are at risk of domestic violence, community violence, or violence related to the occupation. These services also include care and shelter when necessary, alongside interventions with families to safeguard the best interests of the child and support their reintegration into a safe environment whenever possible.
In the Gaza Strip, protection risks have intensified due to displacement, the loss of one or both parents, the breakdown of family care networks, poverty, and the loss of income sources.
The Ministry warned that these circumstances increase children's vulnerability to homelessness, child labour, exploitation, and early marriage, in addition to causing severe psychological distress.
In cooperation with local and international partners, the Ministry continues to support alternative care programmes, psychosocial support services, and the documentation and follow-up of child protection cases.
The Ministry emphasized that child protection cannot be achieved by a single institution acting alone. It called on families, institutions, schools, civil society organizations, and international partners to strengthen reporting and referral mechanisms, invest in prevention, and build the capacities of child protection professionals.
These efforts are essential to ensuring that children at risk receive timely protection, care, and support.
Latest News
On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment
Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child marriage cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader social protection system, as it is linked to multiple factors, including poverty, school dropout, domestic violence, loss of parental care, displacement, and weakened protection networks. The Ministry explained that its role includes protecting children and girls at risk, providing case management, family interventions, psychosocial support, and referral services, and connecting families with assistance, essential services, and economic empowerment programmes. It also coordinates with relevant authorities when the safety of a child or girl is at risk. The Ministry places the best interests of the child and protection from exploitation and abuse at the heart of its child protection services. The Ministry stressed that preventing early marriage also requires protecting families from poverty and economic shocks, supporting girls' continued access to education, raising awareness of their rights, and strengthening families' ability to cope with pressures without resorting to practices that may expose girls to long-term physical, psychological, and social risks. The issue is particularly concerning in the Gaza Strip, where the Ministry warned that the loss of parental care, displacement, extreme poverty, and the declining capacity of extended families to provide care and protection increase children's vulnerability to various forms of exploitation, including early marriage. In this context, the Ministry continues to work with local and international organizations involved in child and women's protection to strengthen early intervention, referral pathways, alternative care, and psychosocial support, alongside assistance to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk factors that may contribute to early marriage. The Ministry called for child marriage to be addressed as a child protection and human rights issue requiring coordinated action among families and social, educational, health, and legal institutions. It also called for increased investment in girls' education, protection, and empowerment to safeguard their right to grow, learn, and make decisions about their future freely and safely.
MoSD: Displacement, Poverty, & Loss of Income Increase the Risks of Violence against Women & Girls
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, MoSD: Protection Requires a Sustainable Response & Empowerment Beyond Emergency Interventions Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on 25 November, and the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that protecting women and girls is a fundamental pillar of the social protection system. The Ministry stressed that an effective response must go beyond intervention after violence occurs to include prevention, early detection, case management, psychological and legal support, safe shelter, rehabilitation, reintegration, and economic empowerment. The Ministry explained that the situation facing Palestinian women has become increasingly complex amid the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, poverty, and loss of income in the West Bank. These conditions expose women and girls to overlapping risks of violence, alongside growing caregiving and financial responsibilities, loss of privacy, and difficulties accessing essential services. Data from 2025 highlight the increasing pressure on the protection system. The Ministry's directorates in the West Bank provided services to approximately 850 women affected by gender-based violence, while around 3,000 women in the Gaza Strip benefited from protection, shelter, psychosocial support, and legal assistance services. In addition, approximately 1,100 displaced women in Jenin and Tulkarm camps received financial assistance, psychosocial counselling sessions, and dignity kits. The Ministry also supported the creation of 40 employment opportunities and 40 economic empowerment projects for survivors of violence and female-headed households. In the Gaza Strip, the vulnerability of women and girls has intensified significantly. According to Ministry data, more than 28,000 women have lost their husbands during the military offensive, while estimates from UN Women indicate that one in every seven households in Gaza is headed by a woman. This places additional economic and social burdens on women amid displacement, loss of livelihoods, and weakened protection networks. Furthermore, analyses conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2025 showed that denial of resources and opportunities accounted for 35.5% of reported forms of violence in Gaza, followed by psychological violence at 29.8% and physical assault at 25.8%. These figures reflect the close relationship between displacement, poverty, insecurity, and increasing risks of violence. The Ministry explained that its women's protection services include receiving reports of violence, case management, family follow-up, psychosocial support, legal assistance, referrals, safe shelter, financial assistance, rehabilitation, reintegration, and economic empowerment. These services are delivered through the Ministry's directorates and protection centres in partnership with local and international organizations. During 2026, the Ministry strengthened its protection system by adopting unified procedures for women's and children's protection case files, regulating the handling of reports, referral pathways, and follow-up mechanisms while safeguarding data confidentiality and privacy. These measures aim to improve service quality and ensure continuity of care and protection. The Ministry stressed that effective protection for women does not end with removing them from immediate danger. It also requires addressing the underlying factors that may expose them to repeated violence, particularly poverty, economic dependence, lack of safe housing, and limited access to services. For this reason, the Ministry integrates protection services with social assistance and economic empowerment programmes to strengthen women's independence and reduce their vulnerability to violence. The Ministry of Social Development called on government institutions, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies, the private sector, and donors to increase investment in protection centres, safe shelters, psychological and legal support, case management, referral pathways, and economic empowerment programmes. It emphasized the importance of prioritizing displaced women, women with disabilities, older women, female heads of households, and girls facing heightened protection risks. The Ministry concluded by stressing that the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence must not remain a seasonal campaign, but should form part of sustained efforts throughout the year. It reaffirmed that the safety and dignity of women and girls, and their rights to protection, justice, essential services, and empowerment, must remain at the heart of the social protection system.
