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Photos: A thin line between hope and despair for women in Gaza

More than 2 million Palestinians - mostly descendants of people who were driven out or fled from territory that is now Israel at its founding in 1948 - are packed into the narrow Gaza Strip, which shares borders with Israel and Egypt. Israel maintains tight control of Gaza's land and sea borders. Egypt also restricts movement in and out of Gaza on its border.Those restrictions have devastated Gaza's economy and left many of its women struggling to find work after graduating from college.

Updated on: Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM IST

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1/11

Amid the poverty and deprivation of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian women struggle to find a taste of normality that is taken for granted in much of the rest of the world. Nada Rudwan used to work in digital marketing, but as her work slowed - unemployment in Gaza stands at nearly 50%- she decided to put her tech skills towards one of her passions: cooking. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Amid the poverty and deprivation of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian women struggle to find a taste of normality that is taken for granted in much of the rest of the world. Nada Rudwan used to work in digital marketing, but as her work slowed - unemployment in Gaza stands at nearly 50%- she decided to put her tech skills towards one of her passions: cooking. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

2/11

Nada Rudwan (L) takes part in a startup workshop in Gaza City. “It was difficult to find a job, so I thought of doing something I like and that will make me money at the same time,” said Rudwan, 27, who posts cooking tutorials to social media under the name “Nada Kitchen”. Rudwan said she earns income from YouTube proceeds and that several companies in Saudi Arabia recently purchased her videos. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Nada Rudwan (L) takes part in a startup workshop in Gaza City. “It was difficult to find a job, so I thought of doing something I like and that will make me money at the same time,” said Rudwan, 27, who posts cooking tutorials to social media under the name “Nada Kitchen”. Rudwan said she earns income from YouTube proceeds and that several companies in Saudi Arabia recently purchased her videos. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

3/11

More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into the narrow Gaza Strip, which shares borders with Israel and Egypt. Israel maintains tight control of Gaza’s land and sea borders, citing security concerns emanating from Hamas, the Islamist group which controls the coastal territory. Egypt also restricts movement in and out of Gaza on its border. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into the narrow Gaza Strip, which shares borders with Israel and Egypt. Israel maintains tight control of Gaza’s land and sea borders, citing security concerns emanating from Hamas, the Islamist group which controls the coastal territory. Egypt also restricts movement in and out of Gaza on its border. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

4/11

“It is an attempt to beat the physical blockade of Gaza,” Nada (C) said. Restrictions have devastated Gaza’s economy and left many of its women, like Rudwan’s younger sister, struggling to find work. “It is hard to find a job that will allow you take care of your needs,” said Lama Rudwan, 22, a media and communications graduate who joined her sister after an unsuccessful job search. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

“It is an attempt to beat the physical blockade of Gaza,” Nada (C) said. Restrictions have devastated Gaza’s economy and left many of its women, like Rudwan’s younger sister, struggling to find work. “It is hard to find a job that will allow you take care of your needs,” said Lama Rudwan, 22, a media and communications graduate who joined her sister after an unsuccessful job search. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

5/11

Some young women speak of struggles in their personal lives. They say shopping and even getting married is made difficult by the restrictions. Hana Abu El-Roos, 18, plans to get married this summer but can’t find items she needs in any of Gaza’s shops. “I haven’t picked my wedding dress yet,” said El-Roos, who is also busy preparing for her final high school exams. “I am confused. My sisters are helping me.” (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Some young women speak of struggles in their personal lives. They say shopping and even getting married is made difficult by the restrictions. Hana Abu El-Roos, 18, plans to get married this summer but can’t find items she needs in any of Gaza’s shops. “I haven’t picked my wedding dress yet,” said El-Roos, who is also busy preparing for her final high school exams. “I am confused. My sisters are helping me.” (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

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Sahar Yaghi (L), 28, prepares to serve cake during a wedding party at a hotel in Gaza City. Other Gaza women say community pressures weigh on them as they seek to bypass Gaza’s economic struggles by working jobs which some see as non-traditional. Yaghi, 28, took up work as a wedding planner soon after dropping out of university to earn income for her family. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Sahar Yaghi (L), 28, prepares to serve cake during a wedding party at a hotel in Gaza City. Other Gaza women say community pressures weigh on them as they seek to bypass Gaza’s economic struggles by working jobs which some see as non-traditional. Yaghi, 28, took up work as a wedding planner soon after dropping out of university to earn income for her family. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

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Women buy snacks from a vendor. Yaghi’s party-planning requires her to stay up late at night. She said she sometimes hears some of her neighbours, who view her work as inappropriate, passing comments. “I hate some comments. But I love my job and hope to have my own business,” Yaghi said, adding she wants to become the “first female party planner” in Gaza. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Women buy snacks from a vendor. Yaghi’s party-planning requires her to stay up late at night. She said she sometimes hears some of her neighbours, who view her work as inappropriate, passing comments. “I hate some comments. But I love my job and hope to have my own business,” Yaghi said, adding she wants to become the “first female party planner” in Gaza. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

8/11

High school student Wessal Abu Amra, 17, takes a selfie at a public park. Abu Amra loves to go around Gaza with her friends, shopping and eating fast food. “We have things that look like famous brands but they are not the same,” she said. “Despite wars and the bad economy, we are trying to find some joy. We know the reality we live in so we do things we love to get out of a bad mood.” (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

High school student Wessal Abu Amra, 17, takes a selfie at a public park. Abu Amra loves to go around Gaza with her friends, shopping and eating fast food. “We have things that look like famous brands but they are not the same,” she said. “Despite wars and the bad economy, we are trying to find some joy. We know the reality we live in so we do things we love to get out of a bad mood.” (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

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Fatma Youssef, 17, a high school student and a horse rider, adjusts her helmet as she prepares to ride a horse at an equestrian club, in Gaza City. “I’m nervous because this is my final high school year, but when I ride my horse I become free of stress,” Youssef said. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Fatma Youssef, 17, a high school student and a horse rider, adjusts her helmet as she prepares to ride a horse at an equestrian club, in Gaza City. “I’m nervous because this is my final high school year, but when I ride my horse I become free of stress,” Youssef said. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

10/11

For those Gaza women who do have work, the constant fear of losing their job heightens their sense of insecurity. Sara Abu Taqea (R), 23, said she found temporary work in a Gaza hospital after finishing a bachelor’s degree in midwifery, but that many of her colleagues were not so lucky. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

For those Gaza women who do have work, the constant fear of losing their job heightens their sense of insecurity. Sara Abu Taqea (R), 23, said she found temporary work in a Gaza hospital after finishing a bachelor’s degree in midwifery, but that many of her colleagues were not so lucky. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

11/11

Suad Dawood, 24, rides a horse on a beach in Gaza City. Dawood holds a diploma as a medical secretary, but has failed to secure a job for four years. “There are no jobs in Gaza. Whenever I get fed up, I go with my friends to sit on the beach or visit areas with greenery,” she said. “We are lucky to have the sea. The beach is a place for relief, and for meditation, so we can forget about the wars and poverty,” Abu Taqea said. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 09, 2019 12:45 PM

Suad Dawood, 24, rides a horse on a beach in Gaza City. Dawood holds a diploma as a medical secretary, but has failed to secure a job for four years. “There are no jobs in Gaza. Whenever I get fed up, I go with my friends to sit on the beach or visit areas with greenery,” she said. “We are lucky to have the sea. The beach is a place for relief, and for meditation, so we can forget about the wars and poverty,” Abu Taqea said. (Samar Abo Elouf / REUTERS)

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