A safe space for Gaza women: A sanctuary to speak, heal and share amid war

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a women-only safe space in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, is providing psychological support, group discussions and awareness sessions for women living through war, displacement and bereavement. The programme, run by Collective Development Projects, operates from a tent at al-Amal camp and is part of a wider effort to give women a place to speak openly and receive practical guidance.

The article focuses on participants including Ola Saleh, 39, a displaced mother of five whose husband was killed last August while seeking food and household supplies, and Suad al-Gharabali, 63, who lost two sons in separate air attacks and now lives in a tent with relatives. Both describe the sessions as a rare chance to leave isolation, share grief and hear from other women facing similar pressures.

Alaa Daoud, the field coordinator, told Al Jazeera the initiative is meant to help women cope with family strain, economic hardship, mental health challenges and the demands of raising children while displaced. The programme at al-Farah School began last week, according to the report, and organisers plan to expand it to other displacement sites; similar sessions are also being held in northern Gaza. Attendance reportedly rose from about 60 women on the first day to roughly 70 to 75 as word spread.

The initiative comes amid a sharp rise in female-headed households in Gaza. Al Jazeera cites UN Women as estimating that about 16,000 women have lost husbands since the war began in October 2023, leaving many with little time or space to grieve while struggling to secure food, water and shelter.