This Gender Equality Week, we’re highlighting how the Humanitarian Coalition’s members are providing gender-inclusive aid in Gaza and the West Bank. When emergencies strike, women and girls are hit hardest. They face greater risks of violence, are often the last to access food or services, and may be unable to reach help because it’s simply not safe to do so. The generosity of our donors has allowed us to support women and girls in one of the most acute crises in the world. 

Since the fall of 2023, our members have been providing critical and life-saving assistance in Gaza and the West Bank. In this incredibly challenging context, they have continued to deliver programming that prioritizes the specific needs of women and girls, while reducing barriers to participation and protection. 

Here are just a few ways donations have helped address gender equality and support women and girls in Gaza: 

• Action Against Hunger distributed fresh food to pregnant and lactating women, helping address nutritional needs before, during, and after childbirth.
• Canadian Foodgrains Bank consulted women on community advisory committees to decide what food baskets should contain, ensuring they reflected household dietary needs.
• Canadian Lutheran World Relief improved water and sanitation facilities with lights, doors, and windows to ensure privacy and safety for women and girls in shelters.
• CARE Canada consulted women’s groups to design dignity kits that met cultural and practical needs—providing items like soap, menstrual products, and undergarments.
• Humanity and Inclusion trained staff and community leaders on safeguarding, with a focus on responding to the needs of women with disabilities.
• Islamic Relief prioritized women-headed households and families with vulnerable members, including pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses.
• Oxfam Canada and Oxfam-Québec engaged women and men as community volunteers to monitor water access points, ensuring equitable and safe access for women, children, and older people.
• Plan International Canada and their local partner Taawon served more than 12,000 hot meals to displaced families, helping meet urgent food needs while protecting women and girls.
• Save the Children installed gender-segregated sanitation facilities, following recommendations from female community leaders to ensure additional privacy.
• World Vision Canada provided portable ultrasound machines in the West Bank, allowing women to access vital prenatal care and enabling clinicians to identify risks for timely referrals.

These are just a few highlights from dozens of initiatives that have integrated gender equality into humanitarian responses in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Thank you for making this work possible. Your generosity is helping women and girls find safety and autonomy.