Back to Contents 15. Particular hardships faced by specific profiles of stateless Palestinians Women 15.1. Are there any reported instances of violence against stateless Palestinian women? In its Protection Monitoring Report for the first quarter of the year 2022, UNRWA reported that: “Women and girls were said to be suffering from ongoing high levels of violence in the home as the socio-economic crisis continued to heighten tensions within families while also forcing them to spend more time together in often crowded homes, with little hope for an improved situation. While focal points reported that the majority of violence against women and girls took place in domestic settings, harassment in the street and online also continued, particularly emphasised in Central Lebanon Area. According to focal points, reporting of sexual violence or exploitation against children continues to be rare due to children not knowing how to report it, fear of retaliation, taboos around mentioning it, and a lack of trust in the system.” (Source: UNRWA, “UNRWA Protection Monitoring Report – Quarter 1 (Q1) 2022”, 1 July 2022, p. 4) The UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported in April 2022 about GBV risks for women and girls resulting directly from their refugee status and associated living conditions: “Protection risks and harmful coping strategies PRL [Palestinian refugees in Lebanon] households face protection risks resulting directly from their refugee status and associated living conditions, with women and girls likely to be more exposed to safety and security incidents. Sexual harassment was reported as a main safety and security concern by 8 per cent of the PRL households with the presence of at least one woman, while physical harassment or violence was reported by 5 per cent. This increases to 13 per cent and 8 per cent respectively in PRL households with the presence of girls. Physical violence was also highlighted as a key concern for children with disabilities. Similar to Lebanese households, protection concerns were highest in Akkar and North in comparison to other governorates. Limited access to services for women who experienced gender-based violence is a major challenge, with more than half of PRL households reporting no access to specialized services for women in their community. (Source: OCHA, Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, April 2022, 14 April 2022, p. 28) The same report further stated, based on the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) conducted by the REACH Initiative in December 2021, that: “The needs of PRL and migrants are exacerbated by their marginalization, which is often related to their legal status, and the associated challenges in accessing specialized prevention and response services. An estimated 50,000 PRL (of whom 89 per cent are women and girls, with boys also at risk in some areas) are considered in need of GBV services, with a large number residing in Akkar and South governorates. An additional 46,000 migrants (80 per cent women, 16 percent girls, 3 percent men and 1 percent boys) are estimated to be in need of GBV services. The region with the highest number of migrants in need is Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Because of gender inequality and a deficient legal system, women, girls and marginalized groups including gender minorities (such as trans gender women and men, and gender non-binary individuals) are the most in need of GBV services in Lebanon. 15. Particular hardships faced by specific profiles of stateless Palestinians 132