International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was marked at Rambam Health Care Campus with discussions and activities aimed to raise awareness.
(L-R) Iris Masri who told her own story; Zohar Bar-On, Social Worker with the Center for Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Violence, Haifa; Eden Avni, Social Worker for the Israeli Police Special Forces – Family Violence; Sagit Zeevi, Director, Rambam’
As it does every year, the Department of Social Work at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam HCC) marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, 2022. To raise awareness, a variety of activities were arranged; lectures were given, Rambam staff donated and sold refreshments - proceeds going to battered women's shelters, informational leaflets designed to help identify and locate female victims of violence, were distributed.
Ms. Iris Masri, a resident of Kiryat Yam, a town just north of Haifa, recounted her personal story – for many years, she was a victim of domestic violence and abuse. Her heart-wrenching lecture, "Look at Me - the Yearning of a Battered Woman," was about coping with, and ending the cycle of violence in her life.
Rambam HCC noted an increase in the number of domestic violence victims admitted to the hospital. This year Rambam HCC treated 160 women identified by hospital staff as victims of domestic violence while last year 115 women were treated for the same reason.
Sagit Zeevi, Director of the Department of Social Work at Rambam HCC, states: "From the data collected this year, a grim picture of increased violence toward women, emerged. The incidences of domestic violence are not unique to any particular population sector, socioeconomic stratum, or place of residence. There is no avoiding the fact that our society has become more violent. The Department of Social Work at Rambam HCC strives to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse and treat the victims who come to the hospital. We believe that increasing awareness will help identify victims, break the cycle of violence in their lives, and even save these unfortunate women."
Are you a victim of abuse? Does…
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Your partner bully, threaten, or control you?
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Your partner controls your access to money?
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Your partner cut you off from family and friends?
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Your partner physically or sexually abuse you?
Is someone you know being abused? Keep an eye out for these signs:
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Excuses for injuries
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Personality changes, like low self-esteem in someone who was always confident
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Constantly checking in with their partner
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Never having money on hand
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Overly worried about pleasing their partner
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Skipping out on work, school, or social outings for no clear reason
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Wearing clothes that don’t fit the season, like long sleeves in summer to cover bruises