Reports of Violence Against Women in Gaza Surge, UN Agency Finds
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A series of recent reports from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reveals a sharp rise in violence against women and girls in the Gaza Strip. This includes early and forced marriage, considered types of gender-based violence (GBV) by the UN.
The Situation in Gaza
According to one report, the prolonged crisis in war-torn Gaza has created conditions where women and girls face escalating risks of GBV. Another report presents harrowing testimonies from 230 displaced women in Gaza City and Khan Younis camps, describing instances of violence they have experienced or witnessed.
Some readers may find the details in this report distressing.
A woman in a school-turned-shelter highlights the practice of marrying rape victims to their attackers to avoid shame: "When rape cases are discovered in schools, you find weddings and celebrations at the school the next day." Another woman recounts a devastating exchange: "Last year, during famine, a man married off his 14-year-old daughter in exchange for two bags of flour so he and his [other] children could eat."
Early and Forced Marriage Statistics
The UNFPA reports a significant increase in reported cases of early and forced marriage—up by 123% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the first. This includes girls aged 12-17 in child marriages.
Nestor Owomuhangi, UNFPA representative to Palestine, emphasizes the shocking trends: "The extreme circumstances over the past three years... have broken down social structures." Despite a ceasefire, ongoing Israeli air strikes and limited access to goods have led to continued poverty, hunger, and displacement for Gaza's more than two million residents.
Education and Safety Concerns
Prior to the war, girls in Gaza outperformed boys at every level of education above primary school. Now, prolonged school closures have caused many children to drop out. Boys face pressure to work informally, while girls are increasingly concerned about safety, especially when living among strangers without privacy in a conservative society that heightens sexual harassment and abuse.