Amid the pressures of life in Gaza, many crave an outlet to air and manage their feelings. So “Layla” opened a counseling center in her house, tending to the emotional needs of women and children. “Solving their problems made me happy,” she says. Hamas authorities, however, demanded that she either shut the center down or work under their oversight, “so that the issues would be contained … [lest] people go out and protest what the authorities are doing.” One day, police arrived, surrounding her home on all sides.

Fifteen years of Hamas rule have left Gazans with few opportunities to air unsanctioned grievances. One Human Rights Watch report notes, “Hamas authorities routinely arrest and torture peaceful critics and opponents with impunity.” Another found that this ongoing abuse may constitute “crimes against humanity, given its systematic nature over many years.” In the same period, abuse and harassment of women has soared. According to Freedom House, Hamas is “reluctant to pursue such cases,” so “rape and domestic violence remain underreported and frequently go unpunished.” Even so, a recent survey found that 37.5 percent of women in Gaza had experienced violence in the past year.

Were Gaza’s women free to air their grievances at forums like Layla’s, the true scale of the problem — and authorities’ disinterest in addressing it — could pose a challenge to the rulers of the strip. As Hamas discovered in 2019, there are plenty of brave youth in the area who want change and have the courage to demand it.