Syrian and Palestinian Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: the Plight of Women and Children

The humanitarian crisis resulting from the Syrian conflict is estimated to be the worst so far of this century. The recent influx of refugees has now reached a point where they are equal to one quarter of Lebanon’s population, causing evident strains on its fragile economy and social structure. Syrians in Lebanon have fled from their home to seek safety, however their vulnerability is now in question as women’s and children’s rights continue to be under threat. This paper investigates the plight of Syrian and Palestinian Syrian refugees in Lebanon with an emphasis on women and children. While there are many issues confronting refugees in Lebanon, a thorough examination of this is beyond the scope of this paper. Therefore, an examination of the two most prominent issues surrounding education and violence is conducted. More specifically, this paper exposes and discusses children’s access to education in Lebanon and the short and long term effects of children forgoing education, both as economic setbacks, the lack of educated people to rebuild Syria and how education is linked to a reduction in violence against women . It will further discuss the shift in the violence that women and children are exposed to, highlighting the increase in violence that they are experiencing. The main forms of violence are manifesting in Intimate Partner Violence, early marriage, survival sex, and the threat and fear of violence from the local community.