Barriers vs potentials: A descriptive study on the integration of female Syrian refugees in Alexandria

PurposeIn 2017, 50 percent of Syrian refugee applications in Egypt were submitted by females. However, a suitable integration strategy for this target group remains obscure since the available approaches focus mainly on male integration. That is due to the assumption that women refugees are mere followers to men who socially and economically dominate the families in the Middle East. Accordingly, the integration of the Syrian women refugees in society, as well as in the market, proceeds spontaneously without clear visions and therefore with delays. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachTo methodologically understand the circumstances of the aforementioned group expert, focused and narrative “episode interviews” have been conducted. Alexandria, Egypt’s second capital, is the research case study as well as the researchers’ hometown. Thus, it allows following a “descriptive comparative analysis” process between the three Alexandrian districts, with different urban fabric: “Al-Nkhil Agamy” gated community, “El-Asafra/Sidi Becher” informal settlement and “New Borg El-Arab” new city.FindingsYet, it is unknown what criteria the Syrian women refugees set for choosing their accommodation. Similarly, the obstacles they encounter, especially the ones preventing their integration, are ambiguous. Even their daily life, which might give insights into the barriers they face, due to their status, is unclear. These are the gaps this paper tackles, in addition to the refugees’ immaterial cultural impact in the host society.Originality/valueFinally, but also importantly, the topic has been seldom researched in Alexandria, in comparison with Cairo. Therefore, this paper aims at qualitatively hearing of the Syrian refugees’ voices in order to enhance their societal interaction and coexistence in Alexandria.