Gaza: Women now head nearly one in four households in Gaza, approximately doubling the pre-war rate, with expectations that this proportion will rise even further by 2026. This shift results from ongoing deaths, disappearances, injuries, and displacements reshaping Palestinian families, as reported by UN Women.
According to Anadolu Agency, the latest Gender Alert by UN Women estimates that around 86,290 households in Gaza are now headed by women, compared to one in nine before October 2023. This estimate is based on data collected at the end of 2025. Sofia Calltorp, director of UN Women's Geneva Office and chief of humanitarian action, indicated that the current proportion is likely higher due to developments since the data compilation.
Despite the ceasefire in October 2025, over 1,330 people have died in Gaza in the past 11 months, with thousands still missing and many suffering lifelong disabilities from injuries caused by bombardment. The report also highlights that the estimate may not fully capture the scale of women assuming familial responsibilities, as some households remain officially classified as male-headed despite women taking over roles due to their husbands being missing, detained, or incapacitated.
Women assuming family responsibilities face severe economic and humanitarian challenges. The report states that 68% of women-headed households have unmet shelter needs, compared to 55% of male-headed households. Additionally, 74% of women-headed homes were damaged or destroyed, versus 67% of male-headed homes. Economic insecurity is also more pronounced, with 67% of women-headed households reporting unmet cash needs compared to 55% of their male counterparts.
Repeated displacement exacerbates these issues, with women-headed households displaced an average of eight times since October 2023, compared to seven times among male-headed households. Despite greater needs, 18.3% of women-headed households reported receiving no assistance, more than double the 8.7% of male-headed households. Calltorp emphasized that limited resources and repeated displacement hinder stable shelter maintenance and consistent access to assistance systems, creating a cycle of unmet needs.
Women heading households face heightened protection concerns, with 19% reporting gender-related protection issues compared to 8% of women in male-headed households. Calltorp noted that women and girls limit their food and water intake to prioritize their families and often live in shelters lacking privacy. Many face protection risks and harassment when collecting aid and essentials for their families due to the collapsed security environment.
The psychological burden on women heading households is immense as they cope with new responsibilities and loss. The report found that these women prioritize their children's health needs over their own, suggesting underreported personal health and psychosocial burdens. Calltorp highlighted the extreme psychological and emotional trauma these women endure while managing new responsibilities and grieving for lost loved ones.
Legal and documentation barriers further complicate their lives. The report emphasizes the need for assistance with civil documentation, death registration, widowhood, custody, guardianship, and inheritance, especially for women whose husbands are missing or detained.
Calltorp called for changes in humanitarian aid delivery, advocating for mobile registration, accessible distribution points, and alternatives for women unable to travel due to childcare or caregiving duties. She stressed the importance of integrating protection against gender-based violence into aid delivery and ensuring access to legal assistance to help women secure necessary documentation and support.
The implementation of these measures fundamentally depends on humanitarian access. "We need to make sure that humanitarian access is fully granted, so that we can come in and support the women and girls in Gaza," Calltorp concluded.