PARIS/ISTANBUL: Palestinian women are at the heart of life in Gaza, says Imane Maarifi, a French nurse of Moroccan descent, reflecting on her volunteer work in the besieged enclave.
“Palestinians deeply respect women. You can immediately see that they were raised with this value,” Maarifi told Anadolu Ajansi (AA). She was struck by an unexpected sense of gender equality—meals were often prepared by men, with women served first, while men ate only if food remained.
“I expected a more patriarchal society, but to my surprise, that wasn’t the case,” she said. Even in workplace settings, female workers were provided better facilities, such as rooms with bathrooms, while male colleagues were assigned bare spaces. Maarifi highlighted the daily hardships of women in Gaza, where mothers struggle to access basic necessities like sanitary pads and often forgo their own hygiene to prioritise their children.
“I saw mothers who couldn’t bathe daily because they used the water for their children instead,” she said. She also described the dire food situation, where limited diets—mostly rice—cause severe digestive problems. Yet, when fibre-rich foods or dietary aids were available, mothers gave them to their children first. “Maternal instinct is universal, but in Gaza, under genocide, it’s absolute. These women have no personal priorities—only their children matter,” she said. Despite the hardship, Maarifi was deeply moved by how women in Gaza are celebrated daily. “In Gaza, March 8 happens every day. Women are truly honoured, and maybe in the West, we should learn from them,” she added. – BERNAMA
