Ramallah, Dec 4 (IANS): The European Union, in partnership with the a non-government Sharek Youth Forum, has organised a cycling event in the West Bank city of Jericho to raise awareness of women's rights and protection.

Seventy Palestinians, including men and women, took part in the event on Thursday, which was part of a 16-day campaign to fight gender-based violence, reports Xinhua news agency.

The participants started their journey from Hisham's Palace, an archaeological landmark north of Jericho, to Bab Al Shams Park in the city.

Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the EU representative in Palestine, said that "we are here to say that the consequences of the novel coronavirus and the lockdown have negatively affected the life of women and children".

"The closure imposed on the Palestinian territories, as well as the countries around the world, has contributed to a significant increase in the rate of violence against women," he added.

Bader Zamarah, the event's organiser, told Xinhua news agency that the event aims to tell people that women are an essential part of the community.

"We should protect women from all kinds of violence, including domestic violence that has been doubled amid the novel coronavirus," he said.

Gender Based Violence is a key protection concern in Palestine.

According to Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) 2011 Violence Survey, an average of 37 per cent of women are victims of GBV in Palestine; in the Gaza Strip, this percentage increases to 51 per cent.

Women in Palestine face multiple layers of violence and discrimination.