An Assessment of the Vulnerability of Syrian Refugee Women in Lebanon

Abstract

With the political instability that has prevailed in Lebanon since October 2019, followed by a global pandemic and a deepening concurrent economic crisis after the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020, Syrian refugees in Lebanon have struggled to survive what the World Bank has described as one of the worst economic crises in decades. This study aims to assess the vulnerability of Syrian refugee women. To investigate the relationship between gender of head of households and poverty, it will present a comparative analysis of the socioeconomic status of Lebanese households and refugees by using data from Lebanon’s Labour Force and Household Living Conditions Survey and from VASyr surveys in 2019 which are comprehensive annual surveys conducted jointly by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the United Nations World Food Programme. The study deals with gender and marginalized communities from many different perspectives to put forward a gender-oriented approach. Examining the distribution of multidimensional poverty index between the households helps to understand the disproportionate burdens carried by women-headed households. In addition to the initial index developed by Alkire and Foster covering living conditions, health, and education, financial security has been added to the analysis as the fourth dimension. Based on the findings, the analysis identifies the most deprived dimensions to better understand the drivers of the vulnerability and poverty gaps between female- and male-headed households in Lebanon. In this context, multidimensional poverty helps depict fragile communities’ socioeconomic status and allows a fuller grasp the multiple aspects of deprivation. Finally, this understanding may pave the way to more inclusive policy for decision-makers and practitioners working on refugee issues.