Displacement, Disrupted Healthcare and Menstrual Hygiene – Plight of Women in Palestine
Palestinian women have been on the receiving end of one of the worst humanitarian crises caused by Israel’s continuous attacks on Palestine. Due to the attack on hospitals, multiple displacements, and restrictions on hygiene and menstrual products entering Gaza, Palestinian women have been enduring extremely inhumane conditions.
Without access to sanitary pads, sterilizers, and personal hygiene equipment, Palestinian women’s health has been adversely affected by Israel's indiscriminate war on the besieged Palestinian territory. The lack of sanitary napkins and tampons has led the women to take norethisterone pills that are normally prescribed for conditions such as severe menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and painful periods for providing relief to menstrual pain. In the shelters run by UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinians, there is only one toilet per 486 people.
Since the Israeli onslaught on Gaza began on October 7, the total siege has prevented hygiene and period products from entering the territory. In one report, Jumana Shahin, a women's rights activist in Gaza, said, “women's needs are being neglected because of the scale of the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza [...]. We are talking about a woman's needs. The situation is harder than you can imagine.”
Moreover, a report by UN Women estimates that 540,000 women and girls in Gaza are in need of menstrual hygiene supplies. Around 10 million disposable menstrual pads are required each month. Another report by UNOCHA, highlighted that only the three water pipelines from Israel to Gaza are functioning. Though a person requires at least 15 liters of water per day, they are only able to get around 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day, making it immensely difficult to fulfill sanitary needs such as washing. The limited access to water has resulted in women and girls unable to wash themselves.
The limited supply of running water and severe shortages of menstruation products have made women resort to using pieces of cloth from the tent as a substitute for sanitary pads. This has increased the risk of infection and deadly toxic shock syndrome.
Without access to safe water, washrooms or sanitary pads, women are unable to manage their menstrual cycle in privacy and with dignity with some reports of contraceptive pills being taken to avoid the unhygienic menstrual conditions.
There is nowhere safe in Gaza. Most people have been displaced multiple times and are living in tents, streets, or overcrowded shelters in scorching heat with no access to food, water, or any hygiene-related needs. UNFPA had estimated that 1.9 million people have been displaced, frequently more than once. There is no privacy; queues for toilets are very long with only one toilet per 486 people in Rafah.
Eman (name changed),18, shared her experiences with Care International, stating, “Sometimes it feels like our entire day revolves around finding food and water, using the toilet and washing ourselves. Since the war escalated, we were displaced multiple times - from Gaza City to Rafah to Khan Younis. We live in a tent in the desert, enduring temperatures above 40 degrees; it is unbearable. I have been sick for months - sick from poor quality food and drinking; sick from all the dust in the air.”
She further added, “Personal hygiene is a huge challenge for us. Essential items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, sanitary napkins, and shampoo - everything that used to be available is now impossible to get. How can we afford to buy toothpaste when we're struggling to buy food? It is especially hard for me when I have my period. We share a bathroom with three families. I only have a few minutes to use the toilet as there is always a long queue outside. I have to be quick; I cannot take the time I need. I always carry my personal items and my own bin bag. Otherwise, I feel embarrassed. We also hardly get any toilet paper, as it is expensive and often unavailable. When I have my period, I wish I could properly clean myself.”
Violence is heavily gendered and women are once again subjected to unbearable inhumane conditions. No one should be made to live in a condition like the ones people in Gaza are enduring. It is important to highlight the usually neglected issues related to women. It is utterly disturbing to see the plight of Palestinian women. The issue of women’s health often goes unnoticed. However, it is equally important that issues related to women's health be addressed and talked about.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces' aggression against the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of 39,006 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children. In addition, 89,818 others have been injured, with thousands of victims remaining under rubble and on roads where ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them. Food security, shelter, health, and livelihood resources are critically low.
The genocidal war on Palestine by Israel has broken all records of human rights abuse. Since October, the people of Palestine have been enduring abuses that are beyond our imagination. Daily accounts of military attacks on the people of Palestine have left many speechless. Even after over 9 months of ongoing genocide, the Israeli government has refused to sign even a ceasefire proposed by the US. What’s even more shocking is the continuous efforts by the Israeli propaganda machine to dehumanize Palestinians.
Despite the International Court of Justice issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the US, who has vetoed many UN ceasefire resolutions, had recently invited Netanyahu to address the US Congress. Though it was met with huge protests in the state urging the government to stop arms sales to Israel and not welcome an international criminal, the US has continued its unwavering support to Israel, making the humanitarian situation in Palestine direr. With the death tolls in Palestine rising daily in Palestine and Israel’s continuous targeting of tents and schools, a ceasefire is needed more than ever.
References:
Israel - Latest news, videos and opinion | Middle East Eye. (n.d.). Middle East Eye. https://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/israel
Batrawy, A. (2024, January 11). Another layer of misery: Women in Gaza struggle to find menstrual pads, running water. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2024/01/11/1224201620/another-layer-of-misery-women-in-gaza-struggle-to-find-menstrual-pads-running-wa#:~:text=A%20lack%20of%20hygiene%20products,toilets%20because%20of%20the%20war.
Gender alert: Scarcity and fear: A gender analysis of the impact of the war in Gaza on vital services essential to women’s and girls’ health, safety, and dignity – Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). (2023, October 19). UN Women – Headquarters. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2024/04/gender-alert-gender-analysis-of-the-impact-of-the-war-in-gaza-on-vital-services-essential-to-womens-and-girls-health-safety-and-dignity
Women in Gaza resort to using scraps of tent in place of period products and go weeks without showering amid dire humanitarian conditions. (2024, January 18). ActionAid International. https://actionaid.org/news/2024/women-gaza-resort-using-scraps-tent-place-period-products-and-go-weeks-without-showering
UNFPA Palestine Situation Report #9 - 03 July, 2024. (n.d.). United Nations Population Fund. https://www.unfpa.org/resources/unfpa-palestine-situation-report-9-03-july-2024
The daily hunt for diapers and sanitary napkins in Gaza. (2024, January 7). CARE International. https://www.care-international.org/stories/daily-hunt-diapers-and-sanitary-napkins-gaza
Six months into the war on Gaza, over 10,000 women have been killed, among them an estimated 6,000 mothers, leaving 19,000 children orphaned | UN Women – Headquarters. (2024, April 16). UN Women – Headquarters. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2024/04/six-months-into-the-war-on-gaza-over-10000-women-have-been-killed
About the author:
Pragati Singh Parihar is an upcoming PhD candidate at the University of Sussex, with a Master's in International Relations from University College Dublin. Former Research Analyst at London Politica with more than four years of experience in public relations. Parihar is also a contributor to Feminism in India and Women’s Web, focusing on human rights, gender equality, and politics. Her areas of interest include intersectional feminism, youth climate movements, and gender-based violence.
