On Women in the Israel-Hamas War

With the Israel-Hamas war now in its fifth month, the disproportionate toll on women and children is evident. Here’s a set of articles and reports for any hoping to learn more about the gendered impacts of the crisis:

Women in Israel

• The World Economic Forum’s 2023 ranking of gender equality by country, in which Israel fell 23 spots compared to the previous year, placing 83rd out of 146 countries.

• On reports of gender-based violence against women during the attack by Hamas, and why it was so challenging to collect evidence verifying these sex crimes.

• On criticism of the UN Women for failing to promptly acknowledge and condemn the sexual violence, and the statement that it eventually released.

• A women’s unit on the border warned of suspicious Hamas activity before October 7 but said their reports were ignored by senior military officials.

• How the presence of women on the frontlines has changed public perceptions about women’s role in the military.

Women in Gaza

• A staggering set of statistics, including the facts that two mothers are killed every hour and that 70% of civilian fatalities have been women and children.

• Explanations of the war’s disproportionate toll on women and girls from The Washington Post, Human Rights Watch, ABC News, and the Associated Press.

• The dire situation of the approximately 50,000 pregnant women in the territory.

• A report from UN Women on the gendered elements of the humanitarian crisis, including food scarcity, lack of shelter due to displacement, and mental health risks.

• How the challenges of finding menstrual supplies and running water pose dangers for women and girls.

• On women taking some small comfort in isdal robes, the garments worn “around the clock” during the war.

If you have any resources or information to contribute, I’d love to keep learning. Please feel free to share in the comments or via email reply.

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