Learning agenda: Advancing gender equality and social inclusion in food, land and water systems in the Middle East and North Africa region

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces an unprecedented convergence of environmental, economic, political and social stresses that significantly undermines the resilience of food, land and water systems (FLWS) and the populations that are dependent on them for their livelihoods. Already the most water-stressed region in the world, MENA is projected to experience rising temperatures of 2–3 °C and a 10–30 percent decline in precipitation, leading to severely diminished groundwater recharge and further overexploitation of aquifers. Agriculture consumes the greatest share of regional freshwater resources and is expected to be severely impacted. Agricultural land—scarce, fragile and increasingly degraded—is at risk of major productivity losses, with crop yields estimated to decline by 30–60 percent. Rural communities are facing deepening food insecurity, poverty, unemployment, conflict, displacement and the erosion of agricultural livelihoods further exacerbating their vulnerabilities. Marginalized groups—including rural women, youth, smallholders and displaced populations—bear disproportionate burdens as resources shrink and competition intensifies. High levels of inequality and social exclusion contribute to growing instability, making inclusion and resilience essential pillars of long-term reconstruction and recovery.

The MENA region continues to demonstrate some of the world’s highest levels of gender inequality. According to the Global Gender Gap report, the region is the lowest performer, with a gender parity score of 61.7 percent and closing the gender gap will take 185 years at the current pace. While women and girls fare relatively well on health and education indicators, they remain starkly underrepresented in economic and political life (political empowerment score at 10.5 percent)—a trend commonly referred to as the "MENA paradox". Women’s labor force participation averages only 18.5 percent and in agriculture, where women’s contributions are substantial, they face persistent barriers to access to land (with only 5 percent ownership), technologies, extension services, decision-making roles and equitable working conditions. Social norms, care burdens and structural exclusion further marginalize women, weakening their adaptive capacities in the face of climate change.

The gender dimensions of climate vulnerability in FLWS in the region are well documented yet insufficiently addressed. Women in the MENA region encounter both biophysical constraints and intra-household power imbalances that restrict their ability to benefit from agricultural innovation, resource governance and climate-resilient technologies. Evidence on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in FLWS in the MENA region remains weak and fragmented, limiting the region’s ability to prioritize strategic interventions, inform policy and design equitable development pathways.

In this context, strengthening the resilience of women and marginalized groups is urgent and central to ensuring food security, stabilizing rural economies and promoting equitable climate adaptation. Enabling women with secure resources, agency and participation in governance systems is foundational for building adaptive, sustainable and socially just FLWS in the MENA region.