RAFIF ASLEEM

Gaza- Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 have killed more than 42,000 Palestinians and displaced millions. Palestinian women struggling to survive have to bear more burden since the beginning of the war. The women running small businesses in the Gaza Strip are among those most affected people by this war. “Dozens of women, including myself, have lost their businesses due to the ongoing attacks,” Suheir Al-Yazji told NuJINHA.

Attacks cause them to lose their jobs

Before Israel started its attacks on the Gaza Strip, women had faced many obstacles in the labor market, she said. “The taxes taken by municipalities and high prices of raw materials were only two obstacles faced by women who started small businesses.”

The projects started by Palestinian women included sewing, advertising, beauty salons, homemade gifts and agriculture, Suheir al-Yazji said; “however, they lost their jobs when the attacks started.”

‘All my efforts were in vain’

Suheir Al-Yazji got married when she was just 17. Then, she got a divorce from her husband and decided to start a new life for herself. She decided to sell clothes, a family business, to raise her children and earn a living. After opening her small shop to sew and sell clothes, she continued her high school education and then graduated from the media department at a local university. “The war broke out in Gaza when I started expanding my business. I had made great efforts to expand my business for 14 years. However, all my efforts were in vain.”

‘The neighborhood was wiped off the map’

The shop of Suheir Al-Yazji was in Rimal, a neighborhood in Gaza City located three kilometers from the city center. “The neighborhood was wiped off the map by the Israeli forces. My house, workshop and shop were completely destroyed.”