From Artsakh to Iraq: economic blockades as gendered violence

Sanctions and blockades have long been used as political tools, but their impact extends far beyond economic deprivation, often functioning as weapons of gendered violence. Women, as primary caregivers, are disproportionately affected by shortages of medical supplies, menstrual products and infant care essentials. The blockade of the Lachin Corridor (2022–2023) was a clear example of how to break a community by targeting its most vulnerable members.

In Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s nine-month blockade cut off 120,000 Armenians from food, medical supplies and essential goods, culminating in the forced displacement of the entire population. Women, already burdened with caregiving responsibilities, bore the brunt of this siege, struggling to feed their families and access hygiene products and healthcare. The deliberate obstruction of these necessities was not collateral damage—it was a calculated strategy of demographic erasure. 

While the blockade of Artsakh unfolded, it echoed the devastating impact of economic warfare seen in Iraq during the 1990s, where U.S.-led sanctions undermined healthcare infrastructure and disproportionately harmed women and children. A comparative lens reveals a disturbing pattern: economic warfare is not just a political weapon, but a form of structural violence that punishes women by attacking their access to the most basic means of survival. 

How the blockade of Artsakh deprived women of basic needs

Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor severed Artsakh’s only route to Armenia, causing an acute humanitarian crisis. The region was deprived of food, fuel and medicine, pushing civilians to the brink of starvation. For women, the impact was particularly severe.

Menstrual hygiene products became unavailable, forcing women to resort to unsafe alternatives, leading to infections and severe discomfort. The lack of access to clean water and basic sanitation further exacerbated health risks. Amid the complete breakdown of maternal healthcare, expectant mothers faced malnutrition, increased pregnancy complications, stillbirths and miscarriages. Unable to secure formula or proper nutrition, mothers were left helpless as their infants suffered from starvation. 

Beyond the physical deprivation, the blockade imposed relentless psychological distress. Women, often the pillars of household stability, were forced into an impossible situation—attempting to hold families together while food ran out and hope dwindled. The psychological effects of prolonged starvation and siege led to heightened levels of PTSD, anxiety and depression among women in Artsakh, as documented by Movsisyan et al. (2022) and Azizian et al. (2023).

The Iraq parallel

While the blockade of Artsakh was a contemporary instance of economic warfare targeting women, it followed a well-documented historical pattern. During the 1990s, U.S.-led sanctions on Iraq devastated the country’s healthcare and sanitation systems, leading to a public health catastrophe.

Prior to the sanctions, Iraq had one of the most advanced healthcare infrastructures in the Middle East. However, the embargo prevented the importation of medical supplies, spare parts for water purification systems and basic hygiene products. Women were left without access to sanitary pads, forcing them to use unsafe alternatives—just as Armenian women in Artsakh would decades later. Iraqi hospitals, deprived of medicine and equipment, became sites of silent suffering, where pregnant women died preventable deaths and children succumbed to treatable illnesses, such as typhoid.

The psychological toll on Iraqi women was immense. According to Unheard Voices: Iraqi Women on War and Sanctions, 72% reported severe anxiety and over half showed symptoms of PTSD. Struggling with economic collapse and resource scarcity, many faced relentless distress, echoing the suffering of Armenian women during the Lachin Corridor blockade.

In both Artsakh and Iraq, economic warfare disproportionately harmed women, targeting their roles as caregivers. By depriving women of the ability to provide for their families, sanctions and blockades transformed everyday survival into a battlefield.

The weaponization of humanitarian deprivation

The blockade of Artsakh was not just a passive restriction of goods—it was an active campaign of ethnic cleansing, facilitated through starvation and deprivation. Women, as the bearers of life and cultural continuity, were placed under immense duress, highlighting the gendered dimension of Azerbaijan’s campaign against the Armenian people.

By examining historical parallels like Iraq, it becomes clear that economic blockades and sanctions are deliberate strategies of war that disproportionately punish women and children and seek to dismantle communities. Through the systemic denial of menstrual hygiene products, maternal healthcare and basic sustenance, economic blockades target the most vulnerable members of society.

Sanctions and blockades are often framed as diplomatic tools, but their effects prove otherwise. When economic policies deliberately deprive civilians—especially women—of basic necessities, they cease to be mere political maneuvers and instead become acts of structural, gendered violence. 

The blockade of the Lachin Corridor was a calculated act of ethnic cleansing, with gendered violence at its core. As Armenians continue to advocate for justice, it is crucial to highlight how economic blockade operates as gendered violence—so that history does not repeat itself and those who weaponize deprivation are held accountable.