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Story Behind the Story 

From June to July 2013, I reported from Israel and the West Bank in ieiMedia's international journalism program. We travelled across the region discovering its diverse communities and complex issues. To explore all the work I produced, visit our program website.  

Independently, I pursued a project covering domestic violence against women in the West Bank. During my first interview with a  female activist in Ramallah, one thing she said struck and stuck with me: "There are only two shelters in all of the West Bank." I couldn't believe it and immediately I asked: why? 

This question drove me to explore the complex social stigmas facing survivors in shelters, and I knew to do this I needed to visit the shelter. I contacted the director, who agreed and provided general directions to the place, but not an exact address because of safety concerns. Along with a fellow female reporter, I forayed into the interior West Bank by bus then taxi, where I was finally able to meet domestic violence survivors. 

Read the full story. 

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