For years, 30-year-old Hanan* lived in silence, carrying pain no one could see.

Inside her home, she endured repeated physical and psychological abuse that slowly eroded her sense of safety and self-worth and left her feeling trapped and powerless.

“I used to believe that staying silent was the only way to protect my children and myself,” Hanan shared. “I felt like I had no voice and no choice.”

In Gaza, this silence is becoming harder for many women and girls to escape. Months after the ceasefire announcement, the humanitarian situation remains volatile and insecure, with over 930 fatalities reported since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement on 10 October 2025. Families continue to face displacement, overcrowded shelters, shortages of basic supplies, growing poverty and rising psychosocial stress. For women and girls, these conditions have increased the risk of gender-based violence, while making it even harder to safely seek help.

According to UNFPA Palestine, reported gender-based violence cases in Gaza increased by over 32 per cent between January and March 2026 compared to the period from October to December 2025. The rise reflects the growing risks facing women and girls amid displacement, deteriorating living conditions and limited access to services, while also showing how community outreach is helping more survivors learn where support is available.

With funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), UNFPA and ACHA are working to keep lifesaving support available for women and girls in Gaza. Through Women and Girls Safe Spaces and mobile outreach in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, women and girls can access psychosocial support, case management, legal aid, referrals, emergency cash assistance, dignity kits and menstrual hygiene supplies.

Like many survivors, Hanan feared the stigma that often follows women who speak out about violence. She worried about her children’s future and believed that enduring the abuse might be safer than seeking support.

Hanan’s turning point came when she joined gender-based violence information and awareness sessions delivered by UNFPA and Abdel Shafi Community Health Association (ACHA) in Gaza, with funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). In a safe and supportive environment, she began to recognize that what she had experienced was not normal, and was never her fault.

“These sessions opened my eyes,” she said. “For the first time, I understood that I have rights, and that what was happening to me was violence.”

Encouraged by the safe space around her, Hanan decided to speak with a specialized counsellor. Through ongoing psychosocial support sessions, she gradually began to rebuild her confidence and process the trauma she had carried for years.

“I learned that I am not to blame,” Hanan explained. “I also learned how to set boundaries and protect myself and my children.”

Today, Hanan describes herself as a different person. She is stronger, more confident and no longer afraid to speak up. She has taken important steps to protect herself and her children from further harm, and now feels more empowered to make decisions for their future.

“I am no longer the woman who lived in fear,” she said. “Now, I know my value, and I know that my children deserve a safe life.”

For women like Hanan, this support is more than a service. It is a safe place to speak, to be believed and to begin healing.

Through the CERF-funded project, “Lifesaving GBV Services and Multi-Purpose Cash Support for Vulnerable Women and Households in Gaza,” UNFPA aims to directly reach 21,800 people in Gaza, including 18,000 women and girls with GBV services, dignity kits and menstrual hygiene support. The project will also provide multi-purpose cash assistance to 3,800 vulnerable households, helping families meet urgent needs such as food, rent, medicine, transportation and hygiene items, as well as emergency cash assistance to 100 GBV survivors as part of integrated case management.

By combining safe spaces, counselling, referrals, dignity support and cash assistance, the project helps women and girls access the support they need while reducing the pressures that can push families toward harmful coping mechanisms, including child marriage, child labour and unsafe survival strategies.

Hanan’s journey from silence to strength is a powerful reminder that when women and girls can access safe, confidential and compassionate support, change becomes possible.

*Name changed for privacy.