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Nobel Women’s Initiative Urges Media to Center Women’s Voices in Gaza and the West Bank

MEDIA ADVISORY 
Date: 13 May, 2025 

In Response to Escalation in Gaza and the West Bank, Nobel Women’s Initiative Urges Media to Center Women’s Voices 

As Israel’s military operations in Gaza continue to intensify, Nobel Women’s Initiative (NWI) urges media outlets and policymakers to prioritize and amplify the voices of women in coverage and decision-making around the conflict. 

The impact of war and conflict on women and girls is distinct, disproportionate, and too often overlooked. Women and girls in Gaza are already facing devastating consequences of the siege and ongoing war — from displacement and family separation, to lack of access to healthcare, food and water, and amplified risks of gender-based violence. Yet, their voices remain dangerously underrepresented in international coverage and policy discussions. According to the global media monitoring project, globally just over 20% of expert voices represented in the media are women. Coverage of war and conflict is even more male-dominated.

In April 2025, Nobel Women’s Initiative led a high-level delegation to Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territory to engage directly with Palestinian women—including women in Gaza through virtual sessions—to hear their experiences, amplify their demands for peace and justice, and bear witness to their resilience and resistance.

We urge all media outlets covering the situation in Gaza and the West Bank to seek out and elevate the perspectives of Palestinian women — who are both frontline responders and leading essential efforts for rights, dignity and justice.

Suggested experts available for comment and interviews: 

  • Joyce Ajlouny is the Secretary General of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). AFSC, a Quaker peace and social justice organization which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947, has been working in Gaza offering humanitarian aid since 1948. Joyce is a Palestinian American, she began her career in Palestine focusing on minority and refugee rights, gender equality, economic development, and humanitarian support. She has held leadership roles with Oxfam-Great Britain, the UNDP, and UNFPA, and served as the Director of the Ramallah Friends School for 13 years.
  • Rawan Yousef is a Palestinian activist and policy analyst based in Jerusalem. Rawan Yousef brings expertise in international advocacy, women’s rights, and conflict resolution. She works to elevate Palestinian women’s voices in global policy discussions, contributing to research, analysis, and campaigns focused on justice and accountability.
  • Kefaya Khraim, is the International Advocacy Officer at Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling active in both the West Bank and Gaza. Kefaya is a dedicated Palestinian attorney and human rights advocate. She holds an LL.M. from the University of Canberra, where she specialized in the legal aspects of honor killings, and a Bachelor of Laws from An-Najah National University. Her career includes extensive work in Palestine’s NGO sector, in addition to her practice as an attorney.
  • Many more experts are featured on InterviewHer, a database designed to connect journalists with women experts around the world. 

Other resources:

Nobel Women's Initiative

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