Palestinian Liberation Is Reproductive Justice, Too

Image courtesy of Menna Ibrahim

By Maniza Habib

With the upcoming presidential election looming in November, U.S.-based reproductive rights groups are preparing for uncertain times in sexual and reproductive health and rights of Americans. But the needs of Palestinian women and girls continue to be ignored. The only way to realize reproductive justice here and abroad is through Palestinian liberation.

Western feminist and reproductive rights groups share a deafening shame in remaining relatively silent in advocating for a ceasefire. The continued silence from these groups sustains the violent situation in Gaza and is equal to continued support for the human rights violations occurring to Palestinian people, especially given the United States’ major role in conducting this genocide. In the Gaza Strip, as in all emergencies, women are at the epicenter of a multifaceted crisis.

Since the start of the genocide, more than 9,000 women have reportedly been murdered by Israeli forces –a figure that does not even account for the thousands missing among the rubble, and one that is thought to be severely under representative of the true number today. At this rate, an average of 63 women will continue to be murdered every day

One million Palestinian women and girls continue to endure catastrophic conditions curated by the Israeli government, which has caused mass displacement, starvation, poverty, and lasting negative physical and mental health impacts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, women and girls continue to bear a disproportionate weight of these human rights horrors, particularly when it comes to their sexual and reproductive health. 

Quality sexual and reproductive health outcomes should not be reserved only for the privileged experiencing peace. Yet, the women and girls in Gaza continue to face an onslaught of deficiencies in accessing reproductive health resources. An estimated 183 women give birth daily among crucial drug and medical supply shortages and constant forced evacuations.

Women have no other option than to deliver their babies in unimaginable conditions without medical care, as Israel’s unrelenting targeted attacks have shut down nearly two-thirds of healthcare facilities in Gaza – effectively reducing hospital bed capacity from 3,500 to just 1,400. Some pregnant women are even having to undergo cesarean sections without anesthesia in horrific conditions.

Image courtesy of Maniza Habib

The hospitals that were meant to be places of recuperation have been turned into unlawful battlegrounds. And for those women fortunate enough to survive childbirth and cradle a live baby, they are faced with the unconscionable task of producing sufficient milk to feed their young in the face of a famine. The burden of stress and starvation is exposing pregnant women to higher rates of miscarriage, stillbirths, prematurity, and other adverse outcomes, without any proper care.

The overcrowded shelter settings increase risk of gender-based violence, with little to no support services available. United Nations experts have also received reports of Palestinian women and girls being subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, and at least two cases of rape, in Israeli detention centers. Testimonies of female detainees report horrific and severe treatment from Israeli forces including beatings, threats of rape, forced nudity, strip searches, and verbal harassment. 

The United Nations estimates that there are more than 690,000 menstruators in Gaza lacking adequate supplies and infrastructure to manage their cycles, putting them at risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections as many are turning to scraps from tents to substitute for sanitary napkins. The stress from the constant bombing have left women and girls with irregular menstrual cycles, and many struggle to access appropriate products for care.

Others, in desperation, have been forced to take medication to delay menstruation. Palestinian women and girls are being robbed of their bodily autonomy and ability to make their own decisions regarding contraceptive-induced menstrual changes. An additional lack of clean water, toilets, bathing spaces, and laundry services in Palestine conjures not only immediate hygiene concerns but calls into question the recognition of Palestinian women and girls’ deserved dignity.

Reproductive justice, a framework that many Western feminist and reproductive health groups value, entails complete reproductive well-being, based on the full achievement and protection of human rights, of all people. Claiming to be a reproductive justice advocate also means supporting women and girls in Gaza. The imposition of Western feminist ideas of liberation fails to acknowledge the nuanced realities of women living under occupation and siege, and the voices of women in Gaza are drowned out by a cacophony of geopolitical interests.

Image courtesy of Menna Ibrahim

Western feminist groups need to focus attention, understand, and champion the specific needs of Palestinian women, as told by them. Hollow, blanket statements against violence is not productive; true solidarity with women and girls demands that we listen to their stories, understand their struggles, and support their efforts to reclaim their rights and dignity—many of which fall under the reproductive justice umbrella that Western feminist and reproductive health groups claim to uphold. 

Reproductive health organizations are uniquely positioned to advocate for the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all women and girls in Gaza, and what they need most – a complete and total ceasefire, at the very least. Without explicit and collective support for a ceasefire, the SRHR of women and girls of Gaza are being cast aside.

Furthermore, it is hypocritical to champion oneself as a feminist and global SRHR advocate without recognizing the specific harms against women and girls perpetuated by the Israeli military’s ruthless siege on Palestine. Empowering SRHR for women and girls in Gaza requires more than just rhetoric, though; it demands tangible action. It necessitates addressing the root causes of the crisis, including the Israeli occupation, the blockade of Gaza, and the structural inequalities perpetuated by the international community. 

As reproductive rights groups in the United States work to encourage more young people to vote in favor of progressive reproductive rights policy in the upcoming election, they are misunderstanding the crucial connection between reproductive rights here and Palestinian liberation. Advocating for a ceasefire and arms embargo to Israel is crucial in the outcome of the election, and therefore, crucial for the reproductive health and rights of all.

Western feminist and reproductive health groups must recommit themselves to the fight for gender equality and global SRHR—one that transcends borders and embraces the diversity of all women’s experiences. We must stand in solidarity with the women of Gaza as they strive for a future free from violence, oppression, and injustice. Their struggle is our struggle, and their liberation is intertwined with ours. 

Image courtesy of Maniza Habib

Maniza Habib (she/her) is a researcher and staunch sexual reproductive health and rights activist. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from the Milken Institute for Public Health at George Washington University and has worked on a number of projects related to abortion and family planning, gender-based violence, and maternal health. Follow her work on LinkedIn. Views represented in this article are her own.