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Even in despair, women keep life going. They cook communal meals with scraps, comfort neighbours, care for the sick and the old, teach children in tents, and provide first aid. The burden of care and survival is immense, with almost no resources. More than 58,600 households in Gaza are now headed by women[2].
Despite facing endless bombings, hunger, and grief, women are the last line of defense for survival in Gaza. “I keep telling my children that God will not abandon us,” Niveen says, her voice breaking. “But life has become so scarce. I am just trying to hold on.”
UN Women has been supporting women-led organizations in the State of Palestine since 1997. Since October 2023, at least 89 per cent of women-led organizations in Gaza have suffered significant damages[3]. Offices have been destroyed, aid workers have been killed, and only one gender-based violence shelter remains operational in Gaza City – and they too may relocate soon.
This month, UN Women’s long-term partner and one of the leading women’s organization in Gaza, Association for Women and Child Protection (AISHA), was hit by an Israeli airstrike. The attack tragically claimed the lives of three people, including a staff member of AISHA, a child, and a pregnant woman who was seeking services, and resulted in extensive damage to AISHA’s premises.
Nearly half a million girls need psychosocial support in Gaza.
The psychological toll on women in Gaza is profound – some 239,000 women and girls are experiencing mental disorders[4].
“My little girl looks at me and says: ‘Mom, let’s go see Dad.’ And I cry endlessly,” Lamees says.
UN Women joins the United Nations and humanitarian partners in calling for unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance at scale for women and girls, the release of all hostages, and an immediate ceasefire leading to sustainable peace.
References
[1] UN Women estimate based on Gaza Site Management Cluster data
[2] UN Women estimate based on Palestinian Bureau of Statistics data
[3] UN Women estimate
[4] UN Women estimate based on World Health Organization data
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