Anera’s Programs Empower Women in Gaza Through Food Production

Daily life in Gaza has been completely upended since the start of the war. Earning an income is nearly impossible, markets barely function, cash is scarce and displacement has disrupted livelihoods across the territory. Yet despite these challenges, women are finding ways to support their families and communities.

With Anera’s support, women in Gaza are transforming basic ingredients into meals that feed thousands of people while providing critical income for their households.

Adapting to War Conditions

Since 2019, Anera’s economic empowerment initiatives have worked to empower Palestinian women who are heads of households to gain economic autonomy. The model set out to help vulnerable women start small businesses by providing materials and coaching to generate their own income. A separate but complimentary Anera program, Farms to Fosool, sourced ingredients from family farms and hired women to prepare breakfast meals to serve in schools. But due to the realities wrought by the war in Gaza, Anera needed to adapt and to change its approach.

Instead of selling their products in local markets, where purchasing power is extremely limited, women participating in our new program are hired and paid to make food, which Anera then distributes free of charge to displaced families, children and patients.

This approach continues the original mission of uplifting women’s economic autonomy, while ensuring their communities benefit from much-needed food.

To support the initiative, Anera carefully selects small production teams of women, prioritizing those who previously participated in the program. Each group includes an experienced team lead who helps guide the production process.

Anera provides the ingredients, cooking equipment and logistical support while overseeing quality control, packaging, transportation and distribution.

Scaling a Successful Model

With funding from a generous family foundation, this project was originally launched in northern Gaza, commissioning women to prepare light meals for displaced families, children in Anera’s temporary learning spaces, and hospital patients.

With the modest increase in goods entering Gaza since October 2025, Anera has been able to source essential supplies like flour, cooking utensils and ovens. This has allowed the project to expand into central and southern areas, creating a network of 55 women participating in income-generating food production across Gaza.

Women Supporting Their Communities

Two groups of women, based in the south and north, have made it their goal to bake nearly 100,000 pastries to be distributed to more than 32,000 people.

In the midst of enormous hardship, grief and displacement, these women are doing more than earning an income. They are helping their communities and showing up as leaders during difficult times.