Amal ‘Obeid: “Being a woman carpenter is very rare in Gaza. Because I’m
divorced, my status is not simple and I face social obstacles. But I
want to provide for myself and for my mother and daughter.”

The
demand for work in the Gaza Strip is enormous, with an unemployment rate
of some 40%. The major reason is the siege Israel has imposed on Gaza
for over a decade. To mark International Women’s Day, we spoke with
three women – a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a vegetable market laborer –
who are all trying to sustain families in this near-impossible economic
reality. Gazan women face a particularly trying challenge, as they must
deal not only with the dearth of work to match their skills, but also,
like women around the world, with a society in which women are
considered inferior and work harder for lower pay.