Palestinian girls compete in a boxing contest in Gaza

young female boxers are redefining gender norms in gaza it’s no ordinary side to spot a boxing ring patch with female fighters and they’re all competing for the national team in palestine here’s a report meet palestine’s female boxers they love trading jabs and punches some as young as 7 years old they are competing in a female boxing tournament in gaza from this tournament we will choose players for the national team to

participate soon in a championship in kuwait which is expected to take place in upcoming february in god’s will today we have 45 girls their age range from 7 years to 17. and the number has only doubled in the past six months for the conservative gaza strip where the sport is mostly popular with men these female boxers are undoubtedly bending the norm it taught me how to defend myself how to release bad

energy and it taught me how to defend myself if i get attacked women make up half of the gaza strips two million people israel and egypt have long maintained border restrictions citing security concerns with gaza’s ruling islamist group hamas but for a territory governed by an islamic militant organization