Link to article- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/30/gaza-women-break-down-work-barriers-amid-israeli-siege
Well educated and hardworking women in the Gaza Strip have always found it very hard to find work for themselves. Naela Abu Jibba, a mother and graduated college student, had hoped to find work in an office, but due to the state of their economy and strict gender division, she was unable to find work. This is a common outcome for hundreds of women in Gaza, but now they are working to create jobs for themselves. The unemployment rate in Gaza as of the first quarter of 2020 was 45.5 percent; for women, the unemployment rate climbed to 62.1 percent. Two major causes of their failing economy are the effects of COVID-19 and a siege made against them for 13 years by Israel, costing them $16 billion. To bring up the unemployment rate for women and provide herself with a job, Naela Abu Jibba created her own taxi company that would only be available to women. However, her new business did not come without scrutiny from men in the Gaza Strip. This is the first of many examples of harsh situations in Gaza that have originated from the involvement of women in the workplace.
I believe that despite the social issues that many in Gaza have with women being involved in the workforce; their involvement will be nothing but positive in creating a change in their current economic situation. By creating these new jobs and raising their unemployment rate, the Palestinian enclave will be able to rebuild from the shambles they are in now. This could also create a pathway to a new women’s rights movement in the area, which would be an incredible progressive movement from where they stand now. By allowing more involvement of women, the territory could also inspire a wider moral to rebuild after facing COVID-19.
Through the application of the liberal theory, it can be said that it is in the long term interest of the Gaza Strip to allow women to join the workforce. However, this requires cooperation from all individual actors that would be involved in this decision. Coming to this conclusion would require a lot of discussion and agreement over things that may go against their social and/or religious way of life. Which is why this decision would not be an easy one to make, despite how simple it may look from an outside point of view.