'Women Can' project empowers Gaza families through cooperation, resilience

Amid displacement, women in Gaza are finding new ways to support their families, turning food initiatives into lifelines and first steps toward recovery.

Inside tents, they join a program run by American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), designed to shift families from aid dependency to income generation.

Among them is Mirvat Areef, one of the 55 participants. Areef lost her home, relatives, and income in the war and now bears responsibility for her family under harsh conditions.

"I work in the ANERA project. Our income is very low, while our needs are great, and prices are high. I am now working to cover my daughter's education expenses, and my husband is ill and cannot work," said Areef.

The women prepare meals and bake goods which are distributed to displaced families, children in temporary learning spaces, and patients in hospitals. "The main goal of this project is to transform women from people in need of assistance into productive individuals who can support their families. Most of the women participating are the main providers for their families. Some have lost their husbands or children, and others have no breadwinner," said Rana Rayan, cooking trainer.

With rising prices and limited job opportunities, the project offers a vital source of income. For many women, it has become a lifeline amid the ongoing crisis.

"We are working on a project called 'Women Can.' This project has two main goals: the first is to economically empower women, especially widows, divorced women, and those who have no source of income. The second goal is to provide meals and baked goods for displaced people and patients," said Islam Mehanna, Livelihood Project manager of ANERA.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Women's Affairs, more than 21,000 women have lost their husbands since October 7, 2023.

And children, women, and the elderly make up more than 55 percent of the victims in Gaza.

These efforts show how women in Gaza are turning survival into resilience, becoming providers and anchors for their communities amid crisis.

'Women Can' project empowers Gaza families through cooperation, resilience

Thousands of demonstrators marched through Manhattan, New York City on Saturday in a massive anti‑war rally, with protesters voicing opposition to escalating conflict and demanding an end to U.S. military action in the Middle East.

In the afternoon near Central Park, crowds gathered holding placards and chanting against the widening conflict. Demonstrators condemned U.S. military strikes on Iran and demanded an immediate halt to war operations.

"Stop the war," demonstrators chanted as they assembled in Midtown Manhattan, one of several focal points of the protest.

According to U.S. media reports, more than 3,000 related demonstrations took place across the country on the same day, with New York City serving as one of the main gathering cities for the coordinated anti-war movement.

"Ceasefire now, no more endless wars, why are we attacking countries in the Middle East? And we are a nation that has been at war long enough. It is time for peace," said a protester.

"No more extra wars, no war on Cuba," said another protester.

In addition to opposing war, protesters also voiced anger over domestic concerns such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"I don't like what's going on in this country, I don't think anybody does. Well, that among many, many other things, not just the war, but there's a lot of things like healthcare, arresting citizens that aren't criminals, and the list goes on and on. There's a lot of grievances," said a protester.

The demonstrations came in the wake of joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Feb. 28. The attacks killed Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with senior military commanders and hundreds of civilians.

Thousands protest in Manhattan against US military action in Middle East