Gender and Displacement in the Middle East during Covid-19

This event was hosted by the Middle East Institute on August 5, 2020.

As the global refugee crisis continues amid the spread of Covid-19 and economic collapse, displaced women face growing dangers in the Middle East. Women refugees and IDPs are at greater risk of domestic and gender-based violence, and many struggle with new roles as both primary income earners and sole caregivers of their children in unfamiliar environments. Additionally, sexist legal systems have become a push factor for women refugees, and insufficient legal protections exist for women refugees in many host countries.

How does the lens of gender help to understand the female migrant experience? How do changing social and economic roles impact the livelihoods and safety of displaced women? What policies and practices can be implemented to provide greater protection from violence and insecurity for women refugees?

This webinar is the second in a series on displacement during Covid-19, an initiative to highlight the perspectives and personal impacts faced by displaced people across the MENA region.