“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire”

“With her gone, I mourned the dreams we had woven together. Our shared vision of the future, all of it, had crumbled to dust”. In southern Gaza, 34-year-old Amani is working to shield her family from the effects of the ongoing war and mourning the loss of a close friend. Their home, in the southern city of Rafah, seems far from the war’s violent epicentre, but cannot offer true safety.

“We thank God every day we wake up alive. We are like funerals postponed, dressed and ready to die, waiting for our turn”. In southern Gaza, 44-year-old Hayam Farahat is navigating life with her family amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The Palestinian Civil Police, in partnership with UN Women Palestine through the Sawasya II UN Joint Programme, opened its second One-Stop Centre in Hebron today to enhance access to justice, ensure the provision of timely protection, and maintain privacy and dignity for women and children’s victims and survivors of violence.

Bisan, 24 years old, is a community and youth activist, content creator and a trainer in the fields of advocacy, debates and twenty-first century skills from Gaza, Palestine. She volunteers in many local and international teams and institutions in the fields of youth and women engagement, climate change and human rights. Bisan has her own show called «Hakawatia» which is broadcasted through Roya Tv and other platforms. In her videos she talks about social issues.

Duha Shellah, 26 years old, is a Palestinian young doctor and medical journalist. She is the founder & CEO of the Researchist, a research community working to increase youth and women’s representation in research and science. In 2022, Duha was recognized as one of the world’s 21 outstanding young physicians by the Inter-Academy Partnership in Berlin, Germany. She is also an Eastern Mediterranean Region Delegate at World Federation of Public Health Associations (Young Council). Additionally, Duha is a coordinator at the Medical & Health Sciences division of the Palestine Academy for Science and Technology. Among other things, Duha is the Student Editor-in-Chief and Ambassador at the International Journal of Medical Students.

Ameera, 24, was born with a vision impairment. She lives in Ramallah with her siblings and parents. She has a degree in English Language and Literature and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Community Development. Ameera also works at EducAid, an international non-profit organization, where she helps people with disabilities overcome learning and employment challenges.

During two high-level workshops that brought together Palestinian Government, feminist leaders and local and international civil society members, UN representatives, the State of Palestine’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs and UN Women have launched the Country Gender Equality Profile (CGEP) to serve as a reliable source of evidence-based information and advocacy on gender equality in Palestine. The event took place in Ramallah and Gaza on two separate occasions, resulting in a fruitful and comprehensive event for all segments of the Palestinian society.

Female inmates in the correction and rehabilitation centres of the West Bank are battling with their mental health due to the lack of strong family and community ties and the harsh realities of violence they have faced. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) organized a specialized training programme for counsellors, with the support of the Sawasya Programme through UN Women Palestine.

Rehab Qtait, 35, is a mother of five and lives with her family in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip. To make a living, Rehab has put her skills in sewing, embroidery work and crochet to good use. But her income does not cover her household needs

Israa Abu Dawod, 32, was born with a complete vision impairment. She lives with her parents and brother (also with vision impairment) in Hebron in the West Bank. Both of her parents have health issues and are unable to work. Israa holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language Teaching, and hosts a weekly radio programme on the rights of people with disabilities. Israa was among the 300 women who received cash for work opportunities by UN Women in Palestine. Generously supported by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), UN Women’s Cash for Work Programme offers economically vulnerable women, particularly those with disabilities, temporary work opportunities coupled with vocational trainings and protection services, to help them pursue more sustainable livelihood.

Farha Abu Al Haija, 57 years old, lives in Jenin, the West Bank. She is the Director of “Not to Forget,” a local NGO that provides women and children with legal, social, and psychological aid, focusing mostly on vulnerable women and survivors of gender-based violence.

Huthayfa Shbair, 26, is a Palestinian lawyer whose upbringing instilled in him great respect for the legal profession. Huthayfa was drawn to defend human rights and fight injustice. However, his path to becoming a human rights defender was not without its challenges. Growing up in a culture that frowned upon interactions with women had limited his exposure to gender-related issues.

Sanabel Ahmed Abusaid, 39, lives with her 13-year-old daughter, parents, and brother in Gaza. She is divorced and raises her daughter on her own. Her ex-husband lives in the Gulf. Apart from being a human rights and women’s rights activist, Sanabel has worked with civil society organizations in Gaza, including Women’s Affairs Centre, a UN Women Partner, where she is a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning Advisor working to empower women and advocate for gender equality.

Through an awareness raising media campaign launched by the HAYA Joint Programme at the end of June 2022, more than two and a half million Palestinian citizens became more aware of the available essential services for women survivors of gender-based violence* and were encouraged to access these services. These services include health care, justice and policing, and social services.

Rabab Nofel, 30, lives with her two-year-old son and husband in a rented apartment in Gaza. She was born with a disability that restricts her movement. To make a living and support her son, Rabab creates and sells perfumes from home, but her livelihood often gets disrupted, particularly during escalations of violence. Women with disabilities have limited opportunities in Gaza to build economic resilience. Only around four per cent of women with disabilities participate in the workforce.

“I used to work as a secretary at the Bank of Palestine, but I lost my job in 2019. After having good living standards for seven years, I found myself in a very difficult financial situation.” Said Souad, * a 41-year-old mother of five whose husband abandoned her. “This motivated me to put my cooking skills to good use and start my own business. Today, cooking is my family’s main source of income.”

Through the HAYA Joint Programme funded by the Government of Canada, UN-Habitat, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and the Nablus Municipality, inaugurated the newly rehabilitated safe, inclusive, and accessible community garden for citizens in Nablus.

Palestine, 14 April 2023 - UN Women Palestine announced the second cohort of the Youth Gender Innovation Agora. Established in 2020, as a consultative forum and platform for regular dialogue and advocacy around gender with youth in Palestine.

Zahra Ahmed, 38, lives with a physical disability, and suffers from diabetes, pituitary tumours, and bowel cancer. She is a refugee living at Al Shatee refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. She had to drop out of school when her parents died. Zahra was among the women who received cash assistance and cash for work opportunity. She worked as an office helper at the Palestinian General Union of People with Disabilities from December 2021 to March 2022. These services were also paired with skill development trainings and gender-based violence (GBV) protection services including legal counselling, awareness-raising sessions, and psychosocial support; all provided by UN Women through the generous funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).