Faith, Community, and Resilience: Gazan Women’s Coping Strategies During Genocide

This exploratory study investigates the coping strategies used by Palestinian women in Gaza to manage trauma following the October 7th, 2023 events. The study involved 30 Gazan female refugees living in displacement camps in Rafah, aged 23 to 60, who were recruited through snowball sampling. The analysis revealed that these women demonstrate remarkable resilience through faith, strong social networks, resourcefulness, and collective support, despite facing severe humanitarian challenges, resource scarcity, and psychological strain. Their experiences underscore the importance of personal, communal, and generational strategies in sustaining hope and well-being amid protracted conflict. The study highlights the need for targeted mental health interventions that strengthen these coping mechanisms, particularly for women and children, to enhance resilience in crisis settings.