Gendered Dimensions of Human Trafficking in Conflict and Humanitarian Crises in the MENA Region
Ezgi Yaman Kennedy, PhD, MSW | September 19 | 11:15 am-12:15 pm EDT
Topic: Programming | Knowledge Level: Beginner
This presentation examines the gendered dimensions of human trafficking amid conflict and humanitarian crises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It focuses on how armed conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Sudan dismantle protective structures, creating environments traffickers exploit—placing women and girls at heightened risk of sexual exploitation, forced marriage, survival sex, and trafficking for domestic labor. To support this analysis, a qualitative research study was conducted, combining 15 in-depth interviews with displaced women and six case study reviews (two from each country) from refugee camps and conflict-affected communities in Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. A survivor-centered and human-centered approach informed the study design. Data analysis was carried out using MAXQDA software, applying Urquhart’s (2013) coding method within a Grounded Theory framework, resulting in 4,231 codes. Three core themes emerged: gendered types of coercion, profiles of traffickers, and gender-sensitive remedies for survivors. Findings demonstrate that displaced women, particularly unaccompanied minors and female-headed households, face coercion into survival sex, trafficking for domestic labor, and multiple forms of exploitation. These findings correspond with international reports, including the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report and the latest UNODC Global Report, which emphasize that conflict and displacement sharply increase trafficking risks for women and girls. This presentation advocates for embedding gender-sensitive, survivor-centered strategies into anti-trafficking interventions within humanitarian responses, emphasizing the urgency of addressing trafficking as a critical human rights issue.
Presentation Objectives:
• Analyze gender-specific vulnerabilities to human trafficking in conflict and displacement contexts in the MENA region
• Present case examples from Syria, Yemen, and Sudan to illustrate crisis-related trafficking risks
• Review findings from international trafficking reports and gender-focused research
• Recommend gender-sensitive interventions within humanitarian and protection responses