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Sharp rise in violence against women and girls in Gaza, UN reports

Early and forced marriage incidents surge as war creates conditions for escalating gender-based violence

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
There has been a sharp rise in reports of violence against women and girls in the Gaza Strip, including early and forced marriage, according to a series of recent reports from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). One report warns of a 'severe escalation' in early and forced marriage incidents in the second quarter of this year, citing data collected by 10 organisations.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has released multiple reports documenting a surge in gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls in Gaza. A report analysing data from 10 organisations states that the protracted crisis in war-torn Gaza has 'created conditions in which women and girls face escalating risks of gender-based violence'. Another report, based on testimony from 230 women in crowded displacement camps in Gaza City and Khan Younis, describes the violence they have experienced or witnessed.

Among the harrowing accounts, one displaced woman in a school-turned-shelter highlighted how rape victims are often married to their rapists to avoid shame and scandal. 'When rape cases are discovered in schools, you find weddings and celebrations at the school the next day,' she said. Another woman told how, during the time of 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'. Six women in different displacement camps shared stories of such exchanges, which the report notes would have been unthinkable before the conflict between Israel and Hamas began.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The surge in gender-based violence, including forced marriage for food, underscores the extreme desperation in Gaza's humanitarian crisis.
  • These findings highlight the specific vulnerabilities of women and girls in conflict zones, often overlooked in broader casualty figures.
  • International pressure may increase for protection mechanisms and accountability, particularly as ceasefire talks continue.

Background

Since the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Gaza has experienced widespread destruction, displacement, and a severe humanitarian crisis. The UN has repeatedly warned of famine conditions, and displacement camps have become crowded with hundreds of thousands of people. The UNFPA reports are the latest in a series of warnings about the distinct impact of the war on women and girls.

Key Perspectives

UNFPA and humanitarian organisations: The reports aim to document and highlight gender-based violence trends, calling for urgent protection and services for survivors. Displaced women and girls: Victims and witnesses describe a breakdown of social protections, where forced marriage and rape are being used as survival strategies or to avoid stigma. Critics and advocacy groups: While not quoted in the reports, international women's rights groups are likely to demand stronger action from the international community and parties to the conflict to prevent such abuses.

What to Watch

  • The number of early and forced marriages reported in the next quarter, as a key indicator of worsening conditions.
  • Any ceasefire or humanitarian access agreements that could alleviate the desperation driving such exchanges.
  • Statements from UN bodies and donor countries in response to the findings.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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