Female heads of households are often the invisible backbone of displacement. They carry a heavier weight in society. Raising children, holding families together, and nurturing the next generation even while enduring loss themselves. Their voices are rarely heard, yet they shape the future in profound ways.

Noor’s story is one of them. Across three episodes, we’ve followed her from her roots in Gaza, through October 7, the death of her husband Khaled, and the crossing into Egypt with her son.

In this final chapter, Noor shares her present reality: starting over in Cairo, navigating judgment as a widow, and finding strength in motherhood and faith. Her voice reminds us why listening to women like her is not optional — it’s essential.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Noor’s first days in Cairo as a refugee mother

* The challenges of beginning again after displacement

* Judgment and stigma faced by single mothers and widows

* How she finds resilience through faith and motherhood

Why This Story Matters

Noor’s voice brings us into the lived reality behind the headlines. Her story reflects the experience of countless Palestinian women who, after displacement, find themselves as the sole providers and protectors of their families. Female heads of households are rarely centered in policy or media, yet they carry futures on their backs. Noor’s testimony preserves that truth.

Noor’s journey doesn’t end here. You can stand with her family as they face the daily reality of survival in Gaza and beyond.Help Noor’s family survive starvation in Gaza here.

The Archive Speaks feature lived memories and stories of resilience and survival from places of conflict like Gaza, told by refugee women and female head of households, and preserved by The Refugee Archive.

In Part 3 of Noor’s 4-part series, we follow her through the most difficult turning point of her life: leaving Gaza.

After losing her husband Khaled in the bombings of northern Gaza, Noor became the sole head of her household. With her son at her side, she faced impossible choices — surviving without clean water or electricity, navigating family negotiations about evacuation, and gathering the funds needed to leave through Rafah.

Her words say it all: “It was really enough for us.” A phrase that carries the exhaustion of war, the grief of loss, and the resilience of a mother who has to keep moving forward.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Noor’s grief after Khaled’s death in northern Gaza

* The daily struggles of survival inside Gaza: food, water, electricity, and dignity

* How her community abroad helped raise the funds to evacuate

* The emotional weight of deciding who leaves, and who stays behind

* Noor’s final journey through Rafah with her son, and their first moments in Cairo

Why This Story Matters

Noor’s voice brings us into the lived reality behind the headlines. Her story reflects the experience of countless Palestinian women who, after displacement, find themselves as the sole providers and protectors of their families. Female heads of households are rarely centered in policy or media, yet they carry futures on their backs. Noor’s testimony preserves that truth.

Noor’s journey doesn’t end here. You can stand with her family as they face the daily reality of survival in Gaza and beyond.Help Noor’s family survive starvation in Gaza here.

The Archive Speaks feature lived memories and stories of resilience and survival from places of conflict like Gaza, told by refugee women and female head of households, and preserved by The Refugee Archive.

In Part 2 of Noor’s story, we step into the turning point of her life in Gaza.

October 7, 2023 — a date the world came to recognize in headlines. For Noor, it was the day her life split apart. What are arguments and debates on the tip of our fingers were Noor’s lived reality: bombs falling, orders to evacuate, and the sudden knowledge that her family’s home, built brick by brick, memory by memory, could be lost forever.

This chapter is about the often-overlooked aspect of war; lived memories of vulnerable civilians like mothers with children stripped of support. Noor recalls the sound of rockets, the scramble to pack in minutes, the crowded apartment where dozens of relatives tried to survive together, and the silence that followed her husband Khaled’s death. Through it all, she became what so many women in Gaza have had to become: the head of her household, carrying both her child and her grief.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Noor’s memories of life in Gaza just before October 7

* The morning of the attacks, and how she shielded her son

* Orders to evacuate and the impossible choice to leave home behind

* Life in a crowded shelter, where women stitched dignity into survival

* The loss of Khaled, and Noor’s shift into single motherhood

Why This Story Matters

Female Heads of Households are not rare in Gaza; they are the backbone of survival when war tears families apart. Yet their voices remain absent from policy and headlines. Noor’s story places us inside that reality: the exhaustion, the resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to keep a child alive when the ground beneath you is gone.

By listening, we move past numbers and statistics into Noor’s lived truth — the truth of a mother who did not choose this role, but carries it every day.

Noor’s journey doesn’t end here. You can stand with her family as they face the daily reality of survival in Gaza and beyond.Help Noor’s family survive starvation in Gaza here.

The Archive Speaks feature lived memories and stories of resilience and survival from places of conflict like Gaza, told by refugee women and female head of households, and preserved by The Refugee Archive.

In this first chapter of Noor’s story, we trace the threads that formed her identity long before war and loss. Her roots run through Gaza, from her grandmother’s stories of being displaced from Al-Masmiyya in 1948, in her father’s belief that daughters should be educated, in the elegant stride of her mother, and in the traditions of proposals and marriage that carried both duty and pride.

For Noor, womanhood was never separate from these roots. It was shaped by faith, family, and culture — not as restrictions, but as anchors. They steadied her through childhood, guided her into adulthood, and, eventually, gave her the strength to mother her son in the harshest of circumstances.

This episode of The Archive Speaks is not about politics, but about survival and identity. Noor shows us how being Palestinian, Muslim, a teacher, a wife, and eventually a mother were all intertwined — roots that steadied her before displacement reshaped her life.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Noor’s family background and the heritage passed through her grandmother

* Her childhood in Gaza, filled with both joy and uncertainty

* How her passion for education became a bridge to the outside world

* The significance of proposals and marriage in her coming of age

* How faith and culture intertwined to shape her womanhood — and later, her motherhood

Why This Story Matters

Behind every Female-Headed Household is a story of roots — the lessons of family, faith, and culture that prepare women to carry entire families when no one else can.

Noor’s story reminds us that motherhood in displacement is not born out of nothing. It grows from deep foundations of identity and tradition. By listening to her, we begin to understand how Palestinian womanhood is not erased by crisis but becomes the very ground from which survival is possible.

Sources

These oral histories are personal truths and memories, told in the words of those who lived them, shaped by time, loss, and resilience. The Archive Speaks holds space for them without political alignment or editing out their truth.

UNRWA. “Where We Stand: Palestine Refugees in Gaza.” 2023UN Women. In Focus: Gender in Humanitarian Action in Palestine. 2024OCHA. Gaza Strip Humanitarian Needs Overview. 2023

Noor’s journey doesn’t end here. You can stand with her family as they face the daily reality of survival in Gaza and beyond.Help Noor’s family survive starvation in Gaza here.

The Archive Speaks feature lived memories and stories of resilience and survival from places of conflict like Gaza, told by refugee women and female head of households, and preserved by The Refugee Archive.

What does it mean to become the head of a household overnight?

In this final chapter of Ataa’s Story, we follow her through one of the most overlooked transformations in displacement: the moment a woman becomes everything—mother, father, provider, protector.

After her husband’s sudden departure from Za’atari Refugee Camp, Ataa was left to raise four children alone. With no roadmap, no partner, and little support, she rebuilt her daily life around survival, care, and hope. Her story reflects the lived reality of countless refugee women who are now Female-Headed Households (FHHs)—a growing but underrepresented demographic. In Za’atari, nearly one in three families is led by a woman.

This episode of The Archive Speaks is a testimony to that shift. We hear Ataa’s reflections on becoming a head of household, navigating judgment, raising children under strain, and building a future with no guarantee—only faith and persistence.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* What happened the day her husband left the camp

* The emotional shift from partner to sole provider

* How she handles judgment and isolation as a single mother in Za’atari

* Her approach to parenting, online work, and faith

* What she dreams for her children, and the future she still believes is possible

Why This Story Matters

Female-Headed Households in refugee camps are not the exception—they are the structure many families now rely on. Yet they remain largely invisible in policy, programming, and media. Ataa’s story gives us rare insight into what women carry when no one else is left—and what leadership in displacement truly looks like.

By listening closely to voices like Ataa’s, we move beyond statistics and into lived truth. This is not just a story of survival. It’s a story of strategy, strength, and the love that builds futures.

Sources

These oral histories reflect the personal memories and truths of those who tell them, shaped by time, trauma, and resilience. The Refugee Archive holds space for these voices without political alignment or editorial interference.

UNHCR. Zaatari Refugee Camp Factsheet. 2023CARE International. Women in Zaatari: Protection Challenges and Community Roles. 2016International Rescue Committee. Women Alone: The Fight for Survival by Syria’s Refugee Women. 2014UN Women. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Humanitarian Action. 2017Human Rights Watch. “We’re Afraid for Their Future”: Barriers to Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan. 2016

"I’m one person—but I have to be a mother, a father, a teacher, a provider… I have to be everything."Ataa speaks from her shelter in Zaatari Camp, where daily life for a woman raising four children alone is both routine and relentless.

In the third chapter of The Archive Speaks, we trace Ataa’s evolving life in displacement—beginning with her arrival in Zaatari and following her through marriage, motherhood, and ultimately, into the unexpected role of sole provider. Each part of her journey reveals something more about the daily realities of women in protracted displacement: the burden of decisions not entirely their own, the quiet strength of adaptation, and the labor of holding a household together when a partner is no longer present.

When Ataa first arrived in Zaatari, she was a young woman recovering from injury and disoriented by exile. In the early months, she navigated life as a single woman under watchful eyes, surrounded by a culture that equated safety with surveillance. After marrying, she stepped into a more stable routine—one shaped by hope, new responsibilities, and the dream of returning to school. Her husband supported her studies and helped with household tasks, but five months after she gave birth to their youngest child, he left in search of a future in Europe. His departure—via an irregular migration route—left Ataa suddenly alone, with four children and no clear safety net.

This episode captures that shift. Ataa revisits the emotional and logistical rupture of his departure, the pressures of becoming a female head of household, and the day-to-day challenges of parenting, teaching, and surviving—entirely on her own. Her story sits within a larger demographic shift: as of recent reports, more than 50% of households in Zaatari Camp are headed by women. Economic strain, protracted conflict, and gendered migration patterns continue to divide families—and leave women to carry what remains.

And yet, this episode is not only about hardship. It is also about clarity. About dignity. And about the slow, deliberate labor of building a life for her children, when everything else feels uncertain.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Ataa’s reflections on life as a single woman in the camp

* Her decision to marry and hopes of continuing her education

* The experience of raising four children in displacement

* The emotional impact of her husband’s sudden departure

* The identity shift of becoming a female head of household

Why This Story Matters

Displacement rarely unfolds in rapid evacuations—it is a prolonged process layered with adaptation, survival, and evolving roles. Ataa’s experience offers insight into what happens when family structures fracture, and women emerge as the primary caregivers, decision‑makers, and emotional anchors.

By listening closely, we begin to understand displacement not only through crisis, but through care—and the invisible leadership of women in situations of protracted displacement.

Sources

These oral histories reflect the personal memories and truths of those who tell them, shaped by time, trauma, and resilience. The Refugee Archive holds space for these voices without political alignment or editorial interference. To support listeners in understanding the broader context of what is shared, we’ve included a selection of publicly available sources that document the historical, political, and social events referenced in this episode. These materials are meant to offer background—not interpretation.

UNHCR. Zaatari Refugee Camp Factsheet. 2023.

CARE International. Women in Zaatari: Protection Challenges and Community Roles. 2016.

International Rescue Committee. Women Alone: The Fight for Survival by Syria’s Refugee Women. 2014.

UN Women. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Humanitarian Action. 2017.

Human Rights Watch. “We’re Afraid for Their Future”: Barriers to Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan. 2016.

"Do you know when you have two lives? Like on your left, you have this life—and on your right side, a completely different life…" Ataa describes how she felt crossing the border of Syria and Jordan.As Syria’s uprising turned into full-scale war, hundreds of thousands of civilians were forced into impossible choices—many leaving homes, jobs, and dreams behind. The Jordanian border opened to receive a growing wave of displaced Syrians, with Zaatari Camp becoming one of the largest refugee settlements in the world.

This episode of The Archive Speaks enters that moment through one young woman’s experience.

In the second part of the 4-part series of Ataa’s Story, titled The Border Between Two Lives, we hear how Ataa’s life shifted in the aftermath of being shot by a sniper while walking to the library. With her body still healing and her future in Syria uncertain, her family made the decision to leave for Jordan. Ataa, however, did not feel ready—emotionally or otherwise.

She reflects on the tension of that time: her resistance to leaving, the family disagreements that surfaced, and the grief of parting with a life she still believed in. She speaks candidly about her older brother, who blamed her for prioritizing education over safety—and who stayed behind to fight. She also recalls the gentleness of her mother, who promised, “Just one month. We’ll come back.”

Crossing the border with her parents and younger brother, Ataa brought only what mattered most: her books, her hopes, her quiet refusal to accept the permanence of exile. Her arrival in Zaatari was not marked by relief, but by mourning—for the version of herself left behind.

In the background of Ataa’s personal story is a pattern experienced by many displaced women: being moved before they're ready, being expected to hold the emotional weight of family survival, and stepping—often silently—into the role of decision-maker and protector. This is not just a story of loss. It is a story of transition, of emerging leadership, and of reluctant resilience.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Ataa’s reflections on being urged to leave Syria after her injury

* Conflict within her family around safety, autonomy, and blame

* The emotional weight of leaving behind her studies and identity

* Her early arrival and adaptation to life in Zaatari Camp

* The beginnings of her transition into leadership and responsibility

Why This Story Matters

Displacement often unfolds not as a moment, but as a process—layered with hesitation, memory, and unfinished conversations. Ataa’s story reveals how women in displacement carry far more than physical survival. They hold family, preserve identity, and navigate roles they didn’t seek but often embrace with strength.

In The Archive Speaks, we recognize displaced women not just as survivors of war, but as witnesses, caretakers, and community leaders. Listening to their stories shifts how we understand conflict—and whose voices we center when telling its story.

Sources

These oral histories reflect the personal memories and truths of those who tell them, shaped by time, trauma, and resilience. The Refugee Archive holds space for these voices without political alignment or editorial interference. To support listeners in understanding the broader context of what is shared, we’ve included a selection of publicly available sources that document the historical, political, and social events referenced in this episode. These materials are meant to offer background—not interpretation.

Doocy, Shannon, et al. “Health Service Access and Utilization among Syrian Refugees in Jordan.” PLoS Medicine Central, Nov. 2013, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3818785/.

Syrians for Truth and Justice. “Syria: The National Union of Syrian Students as a Tool of Repression in Syrian Universities.” Syrians for Truth and Justice, 29 Mar. 2022, https://stj-sy.org/en/syria-the-national-union-of-syrian-students-as-a-tool-of-repression-in-syrian-universities/.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “Syria: As Journey to Safety Gets More Dangerous by the Day, Refugees Keep Coming.” UNHCR, https://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/syria-journey-safety-gets-more-dangerous-day-refugees-keep-coming.

Human Rights Watch. “Jordan: Syrians Blocked, Stranded in Desert.” Human Rights Watch, 3 June 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/06/03/jordan-syrians-blocked-stranded-desert.

UNHCR. “Syria: As Journey to Safety Gets More Dangerous by the Day, Refugees Keep Coming.” YouTube, uploaded by UNHCR,

The Refugee Archive is a pilot academic-media project exploring refugee female-headed households (FHHs) through research, storytelling, podcasts, and analysis. Join us as we build a global conversation.

In this moving first part of the 4-part series of Ataa’s Story, titled From Books to Bullets, we are invited into the early chapters of one woman’s life in Syria—before she became a refugee, before she was forced to flee, before the war redrew the shape of her days.

Ataa was raised in a modest two-room home in a small town outside Damascus, shared with her parents, siblings, and twin sister. Ten people under one roof, and yet, what she remembers most is the warmth. Morning routines. Shared laughter. A father who returned from long hours of carpentry with gentleness and encouragement. Her childhood was shaped not by scarcity, but by connection.

What defined Ataa early on wasn’t displacement—but determination. Her father believed in her education, and so she studied not out of obligation, but out of purpose. Even when the power failed, she read by flashlight. Even when space was tight, she found corners to focus. Her dream was not to leave Syria—it was to teach in one of its universities.

Life at Damascus University brought her joy and routine. It was where she felt most like herself. She wore her values proudly—conservative, colorful clothing that reflected both her faith and individuality. Her world was small, focused on books, friends, and her future. She rarely spoke of politics. Until politics came for her.

In 2011, the peaceful protests that began across Syria slowly interrupted campus life. Friday prayers gave way to demonstrations. Roads were blocked. Professors stopped showing up. Still, Ataa went to the library. Still, she believed she could stay.

Then, on an ordinary day, a sniper’s bullet tore through her neck and exited her back. It also grazed her friend beside her. Strangers carried her to a makeshift medical space—not a hospital, but a hidden room run by those resisting the regime. She was quiet, conscious, and unable to walk.

What follows is not just the story of injury—it is the story of displacement as a strategy for survival. Ataa’s brother was later killed in an airstrike. Her uncle became paralyzed. Her parents decided to bring her to Jordan for recovery. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to stop studying. But she packed what mattered—her books, her identity—and crossed the border with hope that she’d return within a month.

She never did.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Ataa’s memories of life before displacement in rural Syria

* Her father’s role in supporting her educational dreams

* Navigating limited resources while excelling in school

* What daily life was like as a university student in Damascus

* How the early stages of conflict began affecting students

* A detailed account of the shooting and her recovery

* The difficult decision to leave Syria—and what she brought with her

Why This Story Matters

Ataa’s story speaks to the quiet, often unseen lives of displaced women navigating conflict—not only as survivors, but as students, daughters, and leaders in their families. Her voice offers context to what it means to be forced from home, and what it takes to rebuild identity and purpose on the other side of a border.

When we listen to women like Ataa, we don’t just learn about war. We learn about strategy, resilience, and the everyday decisions that define survival.

Sources

These oral histories reflect the personal memories and truths of those who tell them, shaped by time, trauma, and resilience. The Refugee Archive provides a space for these voices, free from political alignment or editorial interference. To support listeners in understanding the broader context of what is shared, we’ve included a selection of publicly available sources that document the historical, political, and social events referenced in this episode. These materials are intended to provide background information, not interpretation.Links: Education in Syrian State Schools before 2011 Written by Sara Rammal, Produced by Sharq in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer FoundationThe International Rescue Committee (IRC), “Are we listening? Acting on our commitments to women and girls affected by the Syrian conflict,” 2014

The Refugee Archive is a pilot academic-media project exploring refugee female-headed households (FHHs) through research, storytelling, podcasts, and analysis. Join us as we build a global conversation.

The Archive Speaks: Trailer

Welcome to The Archive Speaks—a podcast by The Refugee Archive, a digital oral history project focused exclusively on the lived experiences of female-headed refugee households (FHHs). In this introductory episode, we share why this archive exists, what stories we seek to tell, and the voices we believe the world needs to hear. At the heart of this project are the women who carry families forward—often alone—through displacement, survival, and rebuilding.Each episode will explore how women displaced by war and conflict preserve memory, claim voice, and challenge silence—through storytelling. Subscribe for future episodes and features: [The Refugee Archive on Substack]