Addressing growing needs of Palestinian women and children in Gaza: Need for moral Diplomacy

Introduction

Today, Gaza is an occupied territory of Palestine, which shares its borders with the Mediterranean Sea in the West and Israel in the West and North. For decades the conflict between Israel and Palestine has resulted in exchanging authority on territories. Israel has control over Gaza followed by many Palestinian territories and since 2007, has imposed a blockade. With the blockade being imposed, living in Gaza, for many, has become deplorable. Roads remain blocked, and neither people nor goods are allowed to leave nor enter the city. This has resulted in acute shortages of water, food and electricity. Under extreme circumstances, people are forced to leave their households. These ‘extreme circumstances have become life threatening, especially after heavy violence summer 2014. Moreover, with Israeli forces keeping an eye on ‘anybody’, and Palestine authorities lacking in formal government (absence of sovereign government), people residing in the occupied territories of Palestine lack protection from the State; are forced to hand in the balance, becoming a meagre target for both the Palestinian and Israeli Authorities. They are neither in a position to receive formal security, nor any country would, out of selfless interests would take their responsibility; forcing them to rely on international community, particularly the United Nations.

When there is a complex political situation, particularly during and after the conflict, it is important for regional, local and international actors to address the needs for women and children first. Specific to the conflict of Israel and Palestine, the lead actor is the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) whose primary responsibility is to ensure the rights of women and children. Along with it, there are many international aid agencies, working actively and addressing issues such as education, microfinancing, emergency health care, infrastructure of the camps and sanitation. However, there are issues that need to be effectively and immediately addressed. One such issue is Gender Based Violence. International aid agencies no matter how committed to alleviate Palestinian refugees through “development and social inclusion” activities be it in education or health care, gender based violations not only require effective programs but also requires active participation from policy makers and political leadership. The absence of a strong leadership results in poor response on an impending issue both at the regional and the global level.

Achieving gender equality is one of the pressing concern, highlighted by the incumbent Secretary General of the UN which is also a Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development. One efficient way to achieve gender quality is through Gender mainstreaming, which policy makers need to ensure its effective implementation, particularly in Gaza. Since the occupied Palestinian territories has no autonomy and are exercised under strict Israeli and ally’s authorities, which means that women and children centric policies have little or no chance to be implemented. The Palestinian occupied territories have no established budgets, leaving women and children with nothing but “hope”.

Women and children are unable to find work, and clothing, which then forces already burdened UN agencies to assist with their needs, inspite of being faced with blockades and inadequate finances. Working in a conflict sensitive situation, international aid agencies are facing acute shortages of food aid, clothes, necessary equipment’s, resulting in poor implementation of gender centric policies. It is important for policy makers to understand the deplorable situation women and children live, and through collective governing mechanism, equal participation of regional, local and global actors, international aid agencies, ensure timely implementation of gender centric policies and provide necessary goods and services.

Policies so far …

Poor Access to Educational and Employment Centric Training

Today, schools in and around Gaza are barely functioning and overcrowded. During violent clashes, these schools turn into shelter homes for nearby residing civilians, which comprises the purpose of the infrastructure. In Gaza, girls studying in the primary schools are very high. On the contrary, women’s contribution in higher education is phenomenally low, with a girl able to become a doctor, stands around a meagre six per cent. Their participation in vocational training is quite low due to large participation of girls in primary and secondary education.

Poor Employment Opportunities

With external pressures from Israel and their allies followed by acute checks on borders, employment in Gaza is absolutely inadequate, particularly, keeping in mind the high percentage of youths. This then results in severe economic consequences. With no paid employment, women are unable to find labour, which then results in a few women working in Palestine. There is severe structural issue within the labour distribution in Palestine. Moreover, employment inspite of being concentrated in limited sectors, such as educational and agriculture, the participation of women is fairly low. These sectors, inspite of being considered “feminine” suffer from inadequate women participation. This compromises women’s ability to identify jobs according to her skill. Policy makers can effectively address this issue by forming women self-help groups, cooperatives, which have started showing productive impacts on the role of women in Palestinian community. By coordinating with other community groups, women self-help associations can maximise its capacities. One understand by cooperatives, as a group of individuals who form an informal organization to efficiently adapt culture, economic and financial situations, and fulling their requirements. Such self-help groups can be further results in empowerment of women; such groups then result in self-reliance, and strengthens women as per requirement of the market defeating gender-phobia of communities.

Effects on Women and Children Health

Children in Gaza are vulnerable to stunting, what the World Health Organisaiton (WHO) defines as “low height with respect to child’s health”, along with malnutrition. Over 25% of children in Gaza are suffering from stunting, however, in North Gaza alone, WHO estimates it to be 35%. Due to frequent shortage of electricity and inadequate access to clean water, children are prone to malnutrition, severely compromising their ability to drink clean water or bathe. Most vulnerable are pregnant women and new born; because of acute malnutrition, over half of the pregnant women in Gaza suffer from anaemia, which have drastic effects on new born’s, which will have adverse effects once the baby will grow. Moreover, the available unclean water comprises high level of nitrates, which poses a great risk to both women and children. Refugee camps in Gaza continues to suffer from food insecurity.

Many refugees complain not just about the inadequate quantity of food, but they have no means to buy better quality or quantity of food. With Israeli forces guarding the entry and exit of the blockades, it becomes difficult for refugees to get adequate access to medicines. It is also important for policy makers to understand that, medicines designated for the refugees are stopped at the checkpoint, resulting with only one-third of the medicines passing through.

Conclusion

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, strict restriction and blockades continue to pose a great hurdle in growth of women and children, particularly when it comes to their Right to Life. It is imperative for policy makers to implement policies that not only ensures high enrolment in higher secondary education but focus on necessary skills in an effort to make them independent and self-reliant. Within the framework of empowerment, policy makers must address the issue of women reproductive health. Policy makers must make them train on good health hygiene practices, sexual and reproductive health and sanitation. In addition to this, due to inadequate access to food, women and children are vulnerable to malnutrition as they heavily lack necessary iron and minerals for growth which then makes them prone to other diseases. Today, women and children in Gaza are bound by many restrictions, entangled in rapid diplomatic failures, as they continue to become pawns in the game of political quagmire. As hope continues to fade with every sunset, their fate lies in the hands of policy makers and their decisions.