Fòs Feminista Joins International Calls for an End to Violence Against All Civilians and for Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
NEW YORK, NY — Giselle Carino, CEO of Fòs Feminista, an international feminist alliance focused on sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice, released the following statement:
“Fòs Feminista is horrified and saddened by the loss of life in Israel and Gaza and denounces the devastating and deteriorating conditions for all civilians.
“We know from experience with other humanitarian emergencies that it is women and girls who are disproportionately impacted. On top of the direct violence they experience, women and girls face rising sexual and gender-based violence, a lack of basic menstrual health products, and increases in unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal morbidity and mortality.
“Sexual and reproductive health needs cannot be set aside in any emergency, and yet they have historically been treated as an afterthought in humanitarian responses. Among the 1.4 million internally displaced people in Gaza, 1 in 4 are women and girls of reproductive age, and an estimated 50,000 pregnant women may have to give birth in precarious conditions.
“Access to humanitarian aid in Gaza is urgent, and we call for a response that puts the health and needs of women and girls at the center.
“As an intersectional feminist organization, we condemn all forms of oppression and are equally horrified by the surges in Islamophobia and antisemitism worldwide. We believe that a sustainable peace process is the best outcome for all people to have the conditions to thrive.”
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