Writer: Shereen Talaat
The debt crisis in the Global South is not theoretical. It is lived daily by millions. Women in the MENA region carry the burden. They absorb public sector cuts, provide unpaid care, and lose access to healthcare, education, and income so their governments can repay loans to rich countries and international institutions.
Public debt has reached dangerous levels. In Egypt, over 50% of government revenues go to debt service (Eurodad, 2024). In Lebanon and Tunisia, debt distress continues with no structural relief. IMF-backed austerity programs across the region have led to wage freezes, subsidy cuts, and public service deterioration, affecting the most vulnerable, especially women and informal workers.
Debt is not neutral. It is a tool of power, shaped by colonial legacies and global economic hierarchies. At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla, MENAFEM came with a clear position: no feminist future is possible under this debt regime.
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