13th October 2026

UN Women (the lead United Nations entity on woemn's rights, gender equality and empowerment of women and girls) has called for the full implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, respect for international law and accountability for violations.  More than 38,000 women and girls have been killed, while another 11,700 have sustained severe injuries from Israeli airstrikes and ground military operations, a total of 49,700 since the outbreak of war in October 2023. This represents approximately one in every 21 women and girls in Gaza, based on the estimated female population of 1.06 million at the end of 2025. UN Women said more than 150 evacuation and movement orders issued across Gaza by the Israeli Defence Forces since October 2023 had forced nearly one million women and girls from their homes, adding that almost every woman and girl in Gaza had been displaced.  The majority now living in tents or among the ruins of buildings, often without privacy or the basic facilities needed to maintain their dignity. UN Women said that women were being forced to give birth in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, putting their lives and their children's lives at risk. Nearly 4,000 miscarriages were recorded in the first six months of 2026, three times the number reported in the last six months of 2025.  UN Women urged all parties to ensure that international law was upheld and civilians were protected.

Loving God, our hearts are broken because of the suffering of women and girls in Gaza. Uphold all who are weighed down by the burdens they carry. Grant them strength and hope in their struggles.  We ask your loving compassion for all parents who mourn the deaths of their daughters and all husbands the deaths of their wives, and all children who mourn the deaths of their mothers. Guide to places of safety and shelter all women and girls displaced from their homes and support them through the trauma of living daily with fear, among destruction and death. Guide leaders and decision-makers to pursue paths of justice and peace. May they uphold the dignity and rights of all people, embrace dialogue over violence, unity over division, and seek a just and lasting peace.  May the women and girls of Gaza know they are not forgotten, and that you love and care for each one of them. We pray for peace in the land we call Holy, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord, Amen.

You can find out more about the work of UN Women here.

The United Nations Agency for Children (UNICEF) marked the International Day of the Girl Child annually on 11th October announcing that an estimated that 68 million child marriages have been averted over the past 25 years due to education, proving that progress is possible when girls are supported and their rights are protected. The UN agency attributed the progress to investments in girls’ education, legal reform and social protection. The UNICEF statement said, “For when girls are safe, educated and empowered, they don’t just transform their own lives, they help build healthier families, stronger communities and more peaceful, prosperous societies. .... investing in girls is one of the most effective ways to accelerate progress. Every girl deserves a childhood. Every girl deserves the freedom to learn, to grow, to make her own choices and to define her own future. Yet millions of girls are still denied that freedom."

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,

the world, and those who live in it;

for he has founded it on the seas,

and established it on the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,

who do not lift up their souls to what is false,

and do not swear deceitfully.

They will receive blessing from the Lord,

and vindication from the God of their salvation.

Such is the company of those who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O gates!

and be lifted up, O ancient doors!

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is the King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates!

and be lifted up, O ancient doors!

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.