Education in Palestine: Resilience Under Pressure

Education in Palestine remains a core pillar of resilience and future-building. Yet for many students, access to safe and consistent learning has become increasingly difficult. Political and economic realities, combined with social pressures, disrupt learning routines and affect both educational outcomes and wellbeing—especially for adolescent girls, who need supportive environments during a sensitive stage of life.

The West Bank: Ongoing Barriers to Regular Learning

In the West Bank, repeated closures and checkpoints continue to interrupt access to schools and the stability of the learning process. In many areas, limited services and uneven development further widen gaps between communities. For adolescent girls, these challenges are often compounded by household responsibilities and financial pressure, reducing opportunities for sustained learning and ongoing psychosocial support.

Gaza: Education in a Prolonged Humanitarian Crisis

In Gaza, the situation is even more severe. Ongoing war, repeated displacement, and long disruptions to education have created a reality marked by uncertainty and constant stress. Safe spaces are limited, community support systems are overstretched, and access to basic services—including hygiene supplies and essential care—remains inconsistent. Without adequate support, adolescent girls face heightened daily pressures and increased vulnerability.

“Girl Zone”: A Practical, Context-Driven Response

To respond to these realities across the West Bank and Gaza, Sharek Youth Forum launched “Girl Zone” in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The program draws on proven international approaches and adapts them to the Palestinian context.

Girl Zone targets girls aged 12–18 and aims to strengthen their awareness and life skills to help them navigate social, economic, and political pressures. The program offers a safe, guided learning environment designed around girls’ needs, with content delivered in an age-appropriate and culturally sensitive way.

In its first year of implementation (2025), the program reached more than 800 adolescent girls across the West Bank and Gaza through partnerships with over 28 community centers.

Safe Spaces First: The Foundation of Meaningful Empowerment

Girl Zone is built on a simple principle: empowerment starts when girls feel safe.

That is why eight partner community centers were upgraded and transformed into girl-friendly spaces. The process began with in-depth consultations with girls themselves—listening to what helps them feel safe, respected, and comfortable: how the space should look, what privacy means to them, and what makes it easier to participate and ask questions without fear or stigma.

Based on these consultations, the upgrades included painting and interior improvements, suitable furniture for educational and psychosocial activities, and a clear visual identity for the program inside the centers (signage, colors, and design elements). This approach strengthened girls’ sense of belonging and ownership—turning the space into more than a venue for sessions, and instead into a place they trust.

What the Program Offers

• A 30-hour interactive curriculum focused on life skills, mental and physical wellbeing, leadership, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy
• Psychosocial support that builds confidence, strengthens self-expression, and encourages help-seeking when needed
• Age-appropriate health education to help girls understand physical changes and growth with clarity and reassurance
• Safe dialogue spaces with parents to support healthy communication and stronger family support
• Support for daily needs in Gaza, including the distribution of personal hygiene kits for girls and their mothers, helping protect dignity and enable healthy daily practices

Why Girl Zone Matters

Investing in girls is an investment in stronger communities. Girl Zone responds to real gaps—education disruption, limited safe spaces, and rising psychosocial stress—by equipping adolescent girls with practical knowledge and consistent support that help them cope, grow, and stay connected to learning.

Tangible Impact

Program assessments show clear improvements in girls’ ability to manage stress, stronger understanding of physical and emotional changes, increased awareness of rights and personal boundaries, and growth in confidence, communication, and willingness to seek support.