MENA Fem Annual Feminist Economics School 2026: Applications Open!
MENAFem Annual Feminist Economics School 2026
Theme: Feminist Economics for a Just and Caring Energy Transition in the Arab Region
Rabat, Morocco | May 2026
About the Organizers
MENAFem (the Feminist Movement for Economic, Ecological, and Development Justice in the Middle East and North Africa) is a growing regional feminist network working toward envisioning and advancing a new global economic system grounded in intersectional feminism, human rights, and ecological justice. The movement seeks to respond to the needs of communities and marginalized groups, particularly in the MENA region and beyond, and to translate these visions into practice.
The school builds on MENAFem’s extensive experience engaging with international financial institutions (IFIs), multilateral development banks (MDBs), debt justice, and gendered, economic, and climate justice, as well as on its work in feminist knowledge production, movement-building, and collective advocacy.
About the School
As economic policies across the region continue to prioritize austerity, debt servicing, and renewed colonial frameworks, feminist economic alternatives offer pathways toward more just and equitable societies. These approaches center inclusion, sustainability, and social justice, responding to the lived realities of marginalized communities—particularly women and gender-diverse people in the Global South.
The MENAFem Annual Feminist Economics School, organized in collaboration with the IDEAs Network, is a regional platform dedicated to feminist analysis of economic and ecological justice in the Middle East and North Africa. The school provides a space for feminist researchers, activists, and civil society organizations to exchange knowledge and critically engage with issues related to international financial architecture reform, economic justice, and climate finance in the region and across the Global South.
The school also aims to foster collaboration and solidarity—particularly South–South feminist solidarity—to strengthen the capacities of feminist movements in the region, and connect participants to global advocacy networks and policy dialogues. Additionally, it aims to amplify feminist perspectives from the MENA region, Africa, and the Global South on global economic and climate policies, with a particular focus on their local and regional dimensions.
Focus of the 2026 Edition
The 2026 edition focuses on the intersections of feminist and heterodox economics with the political economy of energy. It explores how global financial and trade systems, climate governance, and extractivist development models shape energy transitions in the region—and how feminist perspectives can imagine a transition that is just, equitable, and care-centered.
Objectives of the School
- Strengthen the capacities of feminist movements in the region
- Build a critical understanding of feminist and heterodox economics in the Arab regional context
- Create a platform for knowledge exchange among civil society organizations and networks in MENA
- Foster cross-border feminist dialogue and collective learning
- Support networking and solidarity within feminist movements
- Reimagine development, production, and care through feminist, ecological, and decolonial lenses
Program Overview
The school includes 12 interactive sessions over three days, covering topics such as:
- Foundations of feminist and heterodox economics and their approaches to development
- Political economy of energy, extraction, and deindustrialization in the region
- International financial architecture and its gendered impacts on MENA countries
- Social Reproduction Theory and the political economy of care
- Climate justice and feminist visions for a just transition
- Debt, austerity, and feminist alternatives to structural adjustment programs
- Political economy of extraction, labor, and migration
All sessions are approached through a feminist analytical lens, with attention to regional and Global South contexts.
Who Can Apply?
We welcome applications from feminist activists, researchers, academics, and civil society actors from the Middle East and North Africa who work on or are interested in:
Feminist economics, gender justice, social justice, environmental justice, community organizing, or political advocacy
Urgent regional issues such as social and economic inequalities, climate justice, conflicts, and neo-colonial practices
Advancing feminist economic advocacy and engaging in global economic policy debates
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be based in or actively engaged in work within the MENA region
Alignment with feminist values, including anti-colonialism, inclusivity, intersectionality, care-centered economies, sustainability, and social and economic justice
Proficiency in Arabic or English to ensure meaningful participation (most sessions will be held in Arabic, with simultaneous interpretation into English)
Full commitment to attend and actively participate throughout the school
Participants of all ages, gender identities, and professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We particularly welcome applicants from marginalized communities, including women, persons with disabilities, and individuals from marginalized socio-economic backgrounds, as well as younger applicants who may have limited formal experience.
How to Apply
Interested applicants are required to complete the application form by 28 January 2026.
Only 15 participants will be selected. Successful applicants will be notified by March 2026.
Travel and Logistics
The school will take place in Rabat, Morocco, in May 2026
MENAFem will fully cover travel and accommodation costs
Participants are responsible for securing their own visas