Gendered Socio-Economic Integration: Lessons From the Syria Response

Despite increasing awareness, there are gaps in implementers' policy initiatives and ability to effectively deploy programs that incorporate gender mainstreaming in refugee contexts. Challenges impacting the design and implementation of gender sensitive livelihoods programming are identified based on forty-eight interviews with UN and (I)NGO staff in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Problems include a lack of gender expertise, internalized gender stereotypes, lack of donor commitment to gender goals, not being able to measure outcomes, and/or time constraints. We highlight best practices that make programs that help women refugees obtain work more successful. At the same time, interviewees raised important questions concerning the appropriate metrics for measuring the success of ‘livelihoods' initiatives, arguing that social integration, increasing women’s soft skills and self-confidence were just as or more important than economic objectives of many initiatives being rolled out.