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Gaza women entrepreneurs keep small businesses alive amid war damage, UNDP says

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Gaza women entrepreneurs are finding ways to keep small businesses going despite three years of devastation, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in stories published by UN News on Sunday. Productive capacity has been badly damaged, markets disrupted and the cost of basic goods has risen sharply.

Gaza women entrepreneurs: Nidaa with the chickens and ducks she raises in Gaza.
Nidaa with the chickens and ducks she raises in Gaza. Photo: © UNDP via UN News (editorial use with credit).

Gaza women entrepreneurs who refused to stop

Nidaa, 35, raises and sells chickens, ducks and rabbits in Khan Younis. When her home was destroyed and she was displaced, she saved some of her animals and moved them south, UN News said. Trained as a teacher, she supports her family, including two brothers with disabilities.

Key Facts

  • Gaza’s productive capacity severely damaged after 3 years of war
  • Nidaa, 35, runs a poultry and rabbit business in Khan Younis
  • Key needs: winter shelter, safe water, animal feed
  • UNDP backs restart of small businesses

“During the war, I faced many challenges with continuing my business. However, I insisted on continuing.”

— Nidaa, poultry seller in Khan Younis (via UNDP)

Famine and winter worries

Nidaa said she lost many animals during the famine, when feed became very expensive. Her current problems are shelter for the coming winter, safe water and limited feed, she told UNDP. Another woman, Hanaa, makes local cheese by hand, the agency said.

Gaza women entrepreneurs: Hanaa with a tray of hand-made local cheese in Gaza.
Hanaa with a tray of hand-made local cheese in Gaza. Photo: © UNDP via UN News (editorial use with credit).

Rebuilding livelihoods

UNDP said its work aims to sustain livelihoods that still exist, help businesses restart and create new opportunities where jobs have disappeared. A separate UN briefing this week said most women and girls in Gaza are now homeless.

Why It Matters: Small women-led businesses are among the few sources of income left for families as Gaza's economy struggles to restart.

Also on TrendDesh: Gaza ceasefire anniversary: a year on, key promises remain unmet · Global trade record: world trade hits $35 trillion in 2025, says UNCTAD

Sources: UN News · UN News (Gaza briefing)

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