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The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities
This thesis examines the lived experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households in Egypt. It focuses on how the extended displacement reshapes gender roles, decision-making, and survival strategies. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, extensive family separation, death, dis...
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AUC Knowledge Fountain
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613432932466688 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Dia, Wasim |
| author_browse | Dia, Wasim |
| author_facet | Dia, Wasim |
| author_sort | Dia, Wasim |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This thesis examines the lived experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households in Egypt. It focuses on how the extended displacement reshapes gender roles, decision-making, and survival strategies. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, extensive family separation, death, disappearance, and male migration have occurred, leading to a significant rise in female-headed Syrian refugee households. As a result, displacement has intensified women’s vulnerability, generating new responsibilities and limited spaces for agency, especially within restrictive legal and socio-economic environments.
Based on in-depth qualitative interviews conducted in 2023, this research explores how Syrian refugee women navigate everyday life in Egypt without spousal support. It analyzes how gender intersects with caregiving responsibilities, livelihood constraints, social networks, and legal status to shape women’s experiences in exile. This study draws on intersectionality theory and migration network theory to examine how structural inequalities and social ties simultaneously constrain and enable women’s actions.
The findings show that displacement not only eliminated traditional gender roles but also reconfigured them. Women assumed new dual roles as primary breadwinners and caregivers, often engaging in informal and unstable work while managing household survival. These shifts intensified women’s emotional and physical strain and limited yet meaningful forms of empowerment, including decision-making power and financial autonomy. However, these gains remained constrained by a restrictive legal framework, social stigma, and limited access to services.
By examining the lived realities of Syrian female-headed households in Egypt, this study contributes to the feminist migration scholarship by offering insights into constrained forms of agency and highlighting the limitations of existing humanitarian and policy responses. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3784 |
| institution | American University in Cairo (Egypt) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:03.647Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| publisherStr | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| spelling | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3784 The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities Dia, Wasim This thesis examines the lived experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households in Egypt. It focuses on how the extended displacement reshapes gender roles, decision-making, and survival strategies. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, extensive family separation, death, disappearance, and male migration have occurred, leading to a significant rise in female-headed Syrian refugee households. As a result, displacement has intensified women’s vulnerability, generating new responsibilities and limited spaces for agency, especially within restrictive legal and socio-economic environments. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews conducted in 2023, this research explores how Syrian refugee women navigate everyday life in Egypt without spousal support. It analyzes how gender intersects with caregiving responsibilities, livelihood constraints, social networks, and legal status to shape women’s experiences in exile. This study draws on intersectionality theory and migration network theory to examine how structural inequalities and social ties simultaneously constrain and enable women’s actions. The findings show that displacement not only eliminated traditional gender roles but also reconfigured them. Women assumed new dual roles as primary breadwinners and caregivers, often engaging in informal and unstable work while managing household survival. These shifts intensified women’s emotional and physical strain and limited yet meaningful forms of empowerment, including decision-making power and financial autonomy. However, these gains remained constrained by a restrictive legal framework, social stigma, and limited access to services. By examining the lived realities of Syrian female-headed households in Egypt, this study contributes to the feminist migration scholarship by offering insights into constrained forms of agency and highlighting the limitations of existing humanitarian and policy responses. 2026-06-15T07:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2725 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3784/viewcontent/wasim_dia_thesis.pdf Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Syrian refugees; Female-headed households; Gender roles; Forced displacement; Agency and empowerment; Refugee women; Egypt |
| spellingShingle | Syrian refugees; Female-headed households; Gender roles; Forced displacement; Agency and empowerment; Refugee women; Egypt Dia, Wasim The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title | The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_full | The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_fullStr | The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_short | The Experience of Newly Formed Syrian Female-Headed Households Refugees in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_sort | experience of newly formed syrian female headed households refugees in egypt challenges and opportunities |
| topic | Syrian refugees; Female-headed households; Gender roles; Forced displacement; Agency and empowerment; Refugee women; Egypt |
| url | https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2725 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3784/viewcontent/wasim_dia_thesis.pdf |
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