THOUSANDS of Palestinian women marched against femicide and misogyny on Thursday following the murder of a Bethlehem woman, allegedly at the hands of her family.

Protests took place in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, the Israeli city of Haifa and elsewhere across the world under the slogan “Free homeland, free women.”

The day of action was organised in part through a Facebook page of the same name, with social media users spreading the call using the hashtag #Tal’at — Arabic for “coming out.”

Protesters marched through the streets of Haifa, chanting: “From Beirut to Haifa, women are murdered in the streets and at home. It is time to protect them.

“We want to be free, live in respect, solidarity and safety.”

Organisers said: “We cannot free the homeland without harnessing the power women bring. All we need is freedom and protection and we will be on a safe path.”

Anger has been fuelled by an increase in murders of Palestinian women.

According to the Aman Centre — Arab Centre for Safe Society, 11 Arab women have been murdered in Israel by their partners or family members this year alone.

The latest protests were sparked by last month’s death of Israa Gharib, a 21-year-old from Bethlehem allegedly murdered by family members.

Haifa Deputy Mayor Shahira Shalabi took part in Thursday’s protest. “By crying out against femicide, we also aim to break the patriarchal structure of Arab society,” she said.

Fellow marcher Mai Sada told the Haaretz newspaper that the struggle for women’s safety was inseparable from the Palestinian national struggle.

“There is a connection between living in our own autonomous land and the right that every person is entitled to — especially women — to decide for themselves and choose how to live their lives,” she said.