The bleak economy, the constant wars and the Palestinian division have pushed many women in the Gaza Strip to opt for domestic work.

House cleaning can be a lifeline for families who have lost their breadwinner, either due to divorce or death. But some workers face harassment or accusations of theft and are afraid to speak up, let alone go to court, for fear of losing their jobs.

H.D., 35, found herself working as a housemaid in central Gaza. She has five children to provide for. The $200 per month that her husband earns as a school janitor does not cover the needs of the family, so when a neighbor offered her $150 for housekeeping and for looking after her children and her elderly mother-in-law, "I reluctantly accepted because I had no other choice.”

H.D., who refused to reveal her name, told Al-Monitor that domestic work is socially stigmatized. “The people at the house always feel as if the maid is an intruder and they do not trust her. … When I would prepare the coffee, serve it and sit down to rest a little after a long day of hard work, the housewife would tell me, ‘Go to the kitchen, don't sit down here.’”