In their contribution to Brussels International Center’s “Rethinking Security in the 2020s” series Cleopatra Kitti and Shada Islam argue that for the EU to succeed in recasting its relationship with the Southern Mediterranean countries, along the lines of a green, just, and resilient post-COVID recovery, it should focus on women. Women act as pillars of their families and communities, yet, in the region, they are under-represented economically with deleterious effects on GDP and equity. Thus, the EU should work with national governments to ensure that recovery policies take appropriate heed of women and their role.