Gender Norms and Syrian Refugee Women’s Negotiation of Higher Educational Choices in Jordan and Lebanon

The Syrian civil war is considered to be one of the worst humanitarian crises of modern times. The war has resulted in the displacement of more than 5 million refugees into neighbouring countries, and most of these refugees are above the age of secondary education (UNHCR 2020). Returning to education is one of the key ways in which young refugees attempt to rebuild their lives in exile. However, few research studies have focused on refugees, gender and higher education. In particular, there is a dearth of research which has specifically explored the challenges young female refugees face as they negotiate gender norms in relation to higher education within displacement settings. Using empirical qualitative research, and building on previous scholarship related to gender and education in postcolonial and refugee contexts, this paper explores how young female Syrians negotiate gender norms as they engage with higher education opportunities made available for refugees within the context of exile in Jordan and Lebanon.