Integrating Gender Perspectives into Environmental Sustainability: Ecological Security and Post-Conflict Impacts in the Middle East
Publisher: Sociology and Cultural Research Review
Author(s): Sania Haroon, Samrana Afzal, and Hina Butt
Date: 2025
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Prevention, Gender, Governance, Peace and Security Operations, Protection and Access to Justice
Countries: Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen
Understanding the pressing need to incorporate gender views into environmental sustainability initiatives in Middle Eastern conflict-affected areas with a special focus on Iraq, Syria, and Yemen is crucial. This paper argues that gender mainstreaming enhances ecological security by ensuring that environmental programs address not just the needs but also the vulnerabilities and the distinct roles of both women and men. The study also emphasizes how women are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation in post-conflict situations despite the fact that they are mainly the primary caretakers and resource managers. Additionally, it states that men encounter unique difficulties including losing their means of subsistence or being displaced. The paper shows how water scarcity, agricultural decline and disrupted services affect women's daily lives more severely by applying different case studies. The study calls for gender-responsive policy reforms, women's leadership in environmental governance, and stronger advocacy to link gender equality with climate resilience and peacebuilding.