As Israel continues its onslaught against Gaza, Palestinian women face a lack of access to basic reproductive care. They have been forced to rip up tents to use as menstrual products because they cannot find any in the besieged territory.
Many women who are pregnant have no access to sanitary or safe healthcare, a situation that continues after they give birth.
As our own reproductive rights are stripped from us in the United States, our silence on Palestinian women is loud and hypocritical. Palestine is a reproductive justice issue, and western feminists who claim to care about reproductive rights are betraying Palestinian women and girls in Gaza by refusing to speak out.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza began on 7 October, Palestinians have faced a total deterioration of reproductive healthcare. The siege has caused a shortage of menstrual products, forcing women to resort to using strips of cloth in place of sanitary pads, which puts them at risk of serious infections and toxic shock syndrome.
The trickle of aid that reaches Gaza rarely includes hygiene products, and many families lack access to running water and toilets. …..more
