Al-Haq hereby presents its submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter the Committee) at its 70th session with regard to its evaluation of the first report of the State of Palestine and its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter CEDAW or the Convention), to which it acceded without reservations or declarations on 1 April 2014. The submission also reviews all the appropriate measures taken by the State of Palestine to integrate CEDAW in its legislation and other policies, directives, and measures implemented by the State.

The Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), consisting of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip,has been under prolonged Israeli occupation for over fifty years. Israel, the Occupying Power, has instituted a variety of policies and practices against the Palestinian people, which stand in violation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL),International Human Rights Law (IHRL), and International Criminal Law (ICL). These include violations against the right to self-determination, the right to life, and the right of return, amongst others.