More than 1 million Palestinian women and children live in the Gaza Strip – under blockade, deprived of basic rights and denied the ability to leave. To mark International Women’s Day, our field researchers spoke to three women about the harsh reality they live in, and their dreams of a different life. Hanan Abu Sa’ (34) described the difficulty of raising three kids alone in Gaza, while Israel refuses to let her unite with her husband in Tulkarm. Nihaya Jaradeh (45) shared her dreams of traveling the world freely. Like many Gazans, she cannot find work because of the economy despite her academic degree. Saedah Shihadah (36), a married mother of three, talked of dealing with financial hardship and cancer while aspiring for a better future for her children.