Women of Gaza struggle to create employment opportunities for themselves amid attacks
Young women in Gaza struggle to survive amid the harsh economic conditions caused by the war and siege. Most of them earn a living by working as childcare workers or distributing aid.
NAGHAM KARAJA
Gaza- Since October 7, 2023, Israel has attacked the Gaza Strip, killing more than 42,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 100,000 others. Palestinians, who have to struggle with starvation and a water crisis, are deprived of their most basic rights. Young women in the besieged Gaza Strip have limited job opportunities; mostly earn a living by working as childcare workers or distributing aid while trying to create employment opportunities for themselves.
They look for temporary jobs
Since the beginning of the war, we have been looking for temporary jobs because we have had difficulties in providing our basic needs, said Aya Salouha, a Palestinian woman living in northern Gaza. She distributes aid to the displaced people. “We are talking about a whole year; we are tired of waiting for the end of this nightmare. What we do here is not just working but struggling to survive. We have to work amid the attacks to earn a living for our families. Our suffering teaches us how to create employment opportunities.”
She works with children
Basma Shaqoura has similar experiences with Aya Salouha. She is actually a teacher; however, she has not practiced her profession since the start of Israeli attacks. “Since I could not work as a teacher, I started looking for other alternatives to earn a living. I joined a youth team called ‘Sourire’ providing psychological and social support to children.” Before joining the team, she attended training courses. “I organize activities for children. It is not easy to smile at children in the midst of war and destruction but I have to smile at them so that they feel safe. Young women work with aid organizations and groups to earn a living for their families and support the displaced people.”
‘Women prove themselves despite everything’
We have no choice, Basma Shaqoura stressed. “The war and siege have deprived everyone of the luxury of choice. Women are the most vulnerable group who bear the brunt of this war. Women prove themselves that they have the capacity to maintain their lives despite everything.”