DUBAI: Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, more than 28,000 women and girls have been killed — an average of one every hour — according to UN Women, making the besieged Palestinian enclave one of the most dangerous places in the world to be female.
Thousands more have been injured and nearly a million displaced. As food, water and basic healthcare become increasingly scarce under Israeli blockade, survival has turned into a daily struggle — and women and girls are bearing the brunt.
According to a group of independent UN human rights experts, nearly 13,000 women in Gaza are now the heads of their households, often caring for children without adequate shelter or essential supplies.
Experts say only a ceasefire will bring critical relief to women carrying unbearable caregiving and emotional burdens. (AFP/File)
On May 21, experts issued an urgent appeal to the UN Security Council, condemning what they described as Israel’s “unprecedented assault” on Gaza’s civilian population — and warning of its particularly devastating impact on Palestinian women and girls.
