Everyday is fry-day in Gaza

A potatoes factory in Gaza run entirely by women

by Mohammed Asad

Potatoes factories in Gaza, entirely run by women [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

A specialist factory has been setup in the besieged Gaza Strip to peel, cut and back potatoes and provide chips to local and international restaurants, and it’s run entirely by women.

Rosetta factory manager, Riham Al-Madhoun, said the idea for the factory was thought up from the need to provide jobs to locals and protect Palestinian farmers.

She said only women work in the factory because they are more detail-oriented and it provides them with a source of income for their families. Most, she says, are university graduates unable to work because of Gaza’s struggling economy as a result of the 12-year-old Israeli siege.

READ: Is this Gaza’s first female carpenter?

The biggest obstacles these women face in the factory are the frequent power outages, as work then comes to a complete stop.

Al-Madhoun says the potatoes used didn’t originate in Gaza. “The plants are imported from the Netherlands. There are eight kinds of potatoes used for mass production and we chose to plant three kinds.”

The potatoes are sent to restaurants either in fresh or frozen form after being peeled, cut, washed and packaged.

Uncut potatoes are currently being exported to Kuwait, as there are weekly arrangements for shipment.

Potatoes factories in Gaza, entirely run by women [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

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