Women lead twice as many Gaza households as before war: UN
Sep 09, 2026
Geneva [Switzerland], September 9: Figures released by the UN suggest almost a quarter of all households in the Gaza Strip are now headed by women - roughly twice as many as before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which triggered the ensuing Gaza war.
This development is linked to the consequences of the war, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) reported on Tuesday.
These consequences include widows and the wives of those who are missing, detained, disappeared or seriously injured.
Families headed by a woman face greater difficulties in many respects than those headed by a man, the report states, including a lack of gender equality, which can restrict women's access to income, property, identity documents, services and decision-making processes.
Around two-thirds (67%) of female-headed households lack adequate housing, compared with 55% of male-headed households, the UN says.
Their homes are more frequently damaged or destroyed, and they have been displaced more often than families with male decision-makers. Almost 20% are concerned for their own safety and that of their family, while this figure stands at just 12% in families with male decision-makers.
The UN agency supports local organizations that help women and their families.
Source: Qatar Tribune
