ActionAid Palestine to Support Awareness and Psychological Support Activities for Women and Girls in Gaza

Gaza – Palestine: As part of its efforts to strengthen community resilience, ActionAid Palestine, in partnership with Wefaq Association for the Care of Children and Women, has supported the implementation of numerous psychological and social support sessions, along with awareness sessions for displaced women and girls in Gaza, particularly in the central area of Deir al-Balah Governorate. 

These sessions and activities aim to alleviate the psychological stress and tension experienced by women and girls in Gaza due to the ongoing war since October 2023. 

The activities and sessions covered topics such as stress management, emotional expression, women’s experiences, problem-solving, and discussions on the aspirations and needs of women, aiming to enhance mental and social well-being and help them cope with the psychological impacts of the war. 

Women are experiencing stress and anxiety due to repeated displacement, hunger, and their inability to provide food for their children, amid the threat of spread famine in Gaza. Additionally, they face grief over the loss of relatives, friends, children, and neighbors, and the destruction of infrastructure in Gaza. 

These activities also aimed to raise awareness among women and girls about personal hygiene and provide them with essential knowledge on protection issues, including harassment and exploitation, as well as guidance on reporting mechanisms and how to act in case of exposure to danger. 

These activities contribute to strengthening the resilience of women and girls, empowering them to face the increasing challenges caused by the ongoing war on Gaza. These challenges include the lack of privacy in shelters, poor personal hygiene due to a shortage of necessary hygiene materials, limited access to water in the region, the unpreparedness of shelters for such conditions, and the lack of safety in shelters. 

ActionAid Palestine, in collaboration with its local partners, is also supporting individual counseling, awareness sessions, and providing support for those experiencing gender-based violence. 

WEFAQ organized these activities in parallel with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, at a time when women in Gaza are suffering from increasing violence, as reported by numerous reports indicating a rise in gender-based violence, such as domestic violence, due to the pressures families are facing from loss of  jobs, savings depletion, or the stress caused by repeated forced displacement. Additionally, verbal and sexual harassment has increased in overcrowded and unsafe areas where most women were displaced due to the war. 

Gaza's shelters are overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of people, some of whom have been displaced multiple times due to the ongoing escalation, further exacerbating the suffering of women and children in the region. 

About ActionAid International 

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people living in more than 72 of the world's poorest countries. We envision a world characterized by justice and sustainability, where every individual has the right to a dignified life and freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. We strive to achieve social justice, gender equality, and eradicate poverty. 

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to enjoy freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs through its engagement with Palestinian communities and youth and women’s groups, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective action to address the rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation, in addition to improving their leadership capacity and practicing their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable. 

For more information, please contact: 

Riham Jafari  

Communication and Advocacy Officer at ActionAid Palestine  

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org