In Lebanon, rural women stand as unwavering pillars, upholding age-old agricultural traditions, and safeguarding its biodiversity. Yet, despite their central roles, they often remain at the margins of socio-political dialogues, facing systemic challenges that overshadow their contributions. Recently, Lebanon has been confronting the undeniable implications of climate change. As agriculture remains pivotal in Lebanon’s rural economy, environmental perturbations have significant ramifications. Women, deeply rooted in farming, agro-processing, and artisanal crafts, find themselves navigating these changing landscapes, adapting to decreased agricultural outputs, water scarcity, and land degradation. Further complicated by Lebanon’s intricate socio-cultural weave, many rural women grapple with constraints tied to traditional norms. Economic dependencies, limited access to progressive education, and restricted representation in decision-making exacerbate their vulnerabilities in an ever-changing climate.

This roundtable discussion aspires to amplify the voices of these partisans from rural Lebanon. By intertwining their stories, the objective is to influence national policies and initiatives, ensuring that the complex challenges of gender and climate justice receive the attention they warrant in Lebanon’s evolving narrative.

This event is the fourth event of the 2023 AUB-NCC  roundtable  series  titled: “Navigating Climate Change and Environmental Activism in the MENA region”, co-designed with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the AUB-Asfari Institute for Civil Society & Citizenship, Arab Reform Initiative and the AUB-Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs.

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