Gender, security and SSR in Lebanon

This report examines the role of gender in Lebanese perceptions of security institutions, security sector reform (SSR) and gender dynamics within security institutions.

Using gender as a category of analysis allows for a deeper understanding of broader security perceptions, including of those related to the Syrian refugee crisis, and to vulnerability and domestic violence. It also points to areas for further research areas, such as male vulnerabilities, addressing sexual and gender-based violence and concerns over environmental degradation.

Lebanese gendered perceptions of security institutions include confessional and political power structures comprising mostly male-dominated patronage networks, and a ‘masculine’ public image, which is reflected in perceived behaviours and responses. Gender dynamics play a role in defining how Lebanese security institutions act and react to different security-relevant situations, but also directly affect working conditions within the institutions.

This paper is one of six papers exploring the Lebanese public’s perceptions of their security institutions. You can view the other related papers here:
Citizens’ perceptions of security institutions in Lebanon
Citizens’ perceptions of security threats stemming from the Syrian refugee presence in Lebanon
Civil society’s role in security sector reform in Lebanon: An asymmetric partnership despite a growing working relationship with security services
Perceptions and prescriptions: How Lebanese people view their security
Security threat perceptions in Lebanon