Gaza Herald – For many women in Gaza, daily life has become a relentless struggle of displacement, loss and survival. A women-only safe space in Deir el-Balah is offering psychological support, group discussions and practical guidance, giving participants a rare opportunity to share their experiences, process trauma and find emotional relief amid Israel’s ongoing genocide on the Gaza Strip.
The initiative, run by Collective Development Projects, provides a secure environment where women can openly discuss grief, mental health, family pressures and the challenges of raising children under war. Organizers say attendance has steadily increased, reflecting the growing need for psychological support among displaced women living in overcrowded camps.
Among the participants is Ola Saleh, a mother of five who lost her husband in an Israeli attack last year and now shoulders the responsibility of caring for her children alone. Like thousands of women across Gaza, she says the sessions cannot erase her pain, but they help her regain hope and remind her that she is not facing her struggles alone.
According to UN Women, an estimated 16,000 women in Gaza have lost their husbands since October 2023, leaving roughly one in seven families headed by women. With many living in tents under harsh humanitarian conditions, most have had little opportunity to grieve as they focus on securing food, water and other basic necessities for their families.
The programme also brings together women of different generations. Older participants, such as 63-year-old Suad al-Gharabali, who lost two sons during the war, use the sessions to share life experience and support younger mothers coping with trauma, displacement and the pressures of raising children in wartime.
Organizers say the safe spaces are about more than counselling; they recognize the immense burdens Gaza’s women have carried throughout the war while helping them rebuild resilience, strengthen community bonds and find moments of healing despite the continuing humanitarian crisis.
