West Bank Women Face Displacement, Hunger and Fear at Checkpoints

UN Women estimates that around 83,200 households in the occupied West Bank are headed by women, representing one in eight households, although the actual number could be higher.

For women raising children and supporting families across the occupied West Bank, daily life can mean deciding how to collect food, reach a doctor or earn money through journeys they fear could put them in danger. A new UN Women analysis describes the pressure facing women and girls exposed to violence, home demolitions and movement restrictions, with women heading households carrying particular responsibility for keeping their families safe and meeting needs that humanitarian assistance does not always cover.

UN Women estimates that around 83,200 households in the occupied West Bank are headed by women, representing one in eight households, although the actual number could be higher. Among women formally recognised as household heads in the survey data analysed, 82 per cent manage household income, 77 per cent handle childcare and 75 per cent make all decisions about family members' safety. These overlapping responsibilities leave women managing the practical consequences of displacement alongside the daily demands of care and survival.

A Journey to Work or a Doctor Can Feel Unsafe

The press release cites OCHA figures recording 925 movement obstacles across the occupied West Bank, including staffed checkpoints, road barriers and trenches, the highest number recorded in two decades. Nearly nine in ten women heading households who were interviewed said checkpoints made travel feel unsafe, and more than half reported that movement restrictions blocked access to livelihoods. Every woman household head interviewed reported avoiding checkpoints altogether, revealing how deeply fear shapes decisions about leaving home.

For families depending on a woman's earnings and care, restricted movement reaches into almost every part of household life, affecting access to work, humanitarian assistance and healthcare. UN Women's analysis found that women heading households face disproportionate exposure to harassment, intimidation and risks of gender-based violence as they navigate checkpoints, collect assistance and move through public spaces. One in five reported fear of gender-based violence, more than twice the rate among women living in male-headed households.

Losing a Home Deepens the Struggle to Provide

More than 41,500 people had been displaced, according to OCHA figures from July 2026 cited in the release, including an estimated 20,000 women and girls based on population data. UN Women found that 40 per cent of women-headed households were no longer living in their original homes, compared with 30 per cent of men-headed households. Displaced women-headed households described shortages of cash, food, clothing, hygiene supplies and shelter, together with fears about violence and their children's security.

Illness and disability make these shortages harder to manage, increasing care costs and limiting opportunities to earn an income. Nearly two-thirds of women household heads reported chronic illness among family members, compared with 41 per cent of male-headed households, and more than a quarter reported having a disability themselves. Among women-headed households affected by chronic illness, over half had unmet cash needs, two thirds were taking out loans and half were skipping meals.

Assistance Still Leaves Essential Needs Unmet

One in four women-headed households received no humanitarian assistance, compared with nearly half of male-headed households, and cash remained the largest unmet need among recipients. More than 70 per cent of survey respondents said nobody had consulted them during the previous year about how, when or where aid should be delivered. UN Women is calling for an end to violence, movement restrictions and home demolitions, alongside support connecting livelihoods, social protection, healthcare, shelter and protection services in ways that include women with disabilities. Its work with women-led organisations across the occupied West Bank provides psychosocial support, legal assistance, protection services and access to aid.