Ramallah – Ma’an – A new report issued by ActionAid International highlights the horrific effects of the ongoing war on Gaza and the escalation of violence in the West Bank on Palestinian women and girls, in addition to their remarkable resilience and leadership in the face of the crisis.
The report, titled ‘Agents of Change: The Role of Palestinian Women-Led Institutions in Crisis,’ called for increased funding and support for these institutions and the inclusion of women in peacebuilding and reconstruction processes, while highlighting the urgent need for gender-sensitive methods and approaches to address the unique challenges faced by women and girls.
The report details the extreme challenges women and girls face, drawing on first-hand testimonies from women living in Gaza and the West Bank, including activists and leaders. These challenges include increased risk of gender-based violence and profound psychological trauma. The report also reveals the incredible resilience women demonstrate on a daily basi
s as they work to lead community recovery and advocate for peace.
The effects of war are also invisible emotional and psychological: Palestinian women have been disproportionately affected by the war on Gaza, suffering from severe levels of stress, anxiety and trauma. The ongoing displacement has left women in a constant state of instability. Women are experiencing increased gender-based violence: The ongoing war on Gaza has exacerbated the threats women face, increasing the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, forced marriage and exploitation. Women in displacement camps report a severe loss of privacy and safety, often facing harassment and abuse in overcrowded shelters, with one focus group participant saying: ‘Before, walls were our cover, now they are just a piece of nylon.’ Women in the West Bank face violence at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Women also suffer from a loss of safe spaces and gender-specific services: At the same time, women face significantly reduced access to safe s
paces and support for women experiencing sexual and gender-based violence due to repeated forced displacement, lack of funding and communication challenges. The complete collapse of the legal system in Gaza has created a legal vacuum, leaving women unable to access justice.
The report reveals the dire conditions of maternal care and delivery in Gaza, where pregnant women face high-risk deliveries with little or no medical care, leading to tragic outcomes. Access to adequate sexual and reproductive health care has become impossible in Gaza, with one woman in charge of a women’s health center commenting: ‘Inserting an IUD is not possible because the materials the doctor needs are not sterilized.’
Women living in displacement camps in Gaza have taken on physically demanding and time-consuming tasks to support their families in the war zone, from carrying heavy water bottles to their tents to cooking over open fires, while also taking on additional caregiving responsibilities. Women in Gaza are the last to eat
and the least to feed others in the family due to the severe food shortages. ‘The worst thing women do is to put themselves last on the list of everything, to put their priorities down and take care of others,’ said Hala, an employee at the Alliance for Solidarity.
Women’s Leadership in the Midst of Crisis: Despite these enormous challenges, Palestinian women have taken on important leadership roles within their communities, from managing displacement camps to advocating for resources. Women are actively leading efforts to rebuild Gaza. Samira, the director of Al-Istiqama camp, turned her personal grief into community support, saying: ‘After losing my children and my home, I took it upon myself to strive to help the displaced.’
The report called for the active involvement of Palestinian women in all peace negotiations and political dialogues related to the future of the region, and for women to be recognized and recognized as essential agents of change in Gaza’s recovery. ‘Women and girls in Palestine face
unique and severe challenges as the devastating war continues in Gaza and violence escalates in the West Bank, but amidst these crises they are showing great resilience as emerging leaders who are gaining the trust of their communities,’ said ActionAid Palestine’s Communications and Advocacy Officer, Reham Jafari. Women’s voices and opinions must not be marginalized. It is time for international and local actors to value the essential contribution of women by increasing funding for women-led organizations and ensuring that women have a seat and a position at the table when critical decisions are made about Palestine and its future.
It is not only essential that the voices of Palestinian women are heard, but also that they are acted upon as the war in Gaza continues and violence escalates in the West Bank. ActionAid is calling for an urgent increase in funding for women-led organizations, whose expertise and leadership are essential to recovery and peacebuilding efforts. Women must have a central role in all
peace negotiations and reconstruction processes, ensuring that their unique perspectives and solutions are part of building a sustainable future for Palestine.
Source: Maan News Agency