Illustration: Kim Dinh

According to the UNHCR, as of May 2024, approximately 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced. Approximately 43.4 million of them are refugees, with 40 percent of whom are under the age of 18. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to a range of abuses, including harassment, sexual exploitation, trafficking, racial discrimination, and economic exploitation. 

Migration issues are inherently intersectional, as women and children are hyper-vulnerable. Many of these women are fleeing poverty and persecution, some with children in tow, and are carrying the heavy burden of trauma from their experiences in their home countries, during their journey, and upon arrival. Upon reaching their host countries, many are placed in asylum camps, where they can remain for 10 to 15 years, facing ongoing hardships that seem to worsen over time.

A pervasive and growing issue in refugee camps globally is sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women. A recent report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) highlights the alarming increase in violence against women since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting a 51% rise in sexual violence, a 73% increase in intimate partner violence, and a 32% uptick in early and forced marriages. These women, who arrive at the camps in search of safety, are instead met with continued violence. Disturbingly, some of the perpetrators are individuals they believed would protect them, including border security forces and refugee camp workers. Simple daily activities, like showering, become hazardous, as these spaces are overcrowded and poorly maintained.

The lived experiences of women and children refugees and asylum seekers reveal a complex interplay of systemic challenges and individual traumas. Despite international frameworks designed to protect refugees, gaps in enforcement and accountability gaps exacerbate the risks these individuals face. Power imbalances inherent in migration contexts significantly heighten their vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence. Exploring the socio-legal and health dimensions affecting displaced populations is crucial for understanding the depth of these issues. By spotlighting the embodied realities of women and children, we can better identify potential avenues for meaningful change. 

Insights from research and resources to learn more: 

Mental Health for Pregnant Asylum-Seeking Women

This knowledge product, funded by Share-Net International, focuses on maternal and mental health among pregnant asylum-seeking women in the Netherlands, specifically examining the challenges and approaches to addressing PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Through semi-structured interviews, the study found that all participants emphasized the importance of discussing mental health with their primary care providers. However, these discussions were hindered by various barriers such as language differences, cultural factors, and logistical challenges like long wait times and appointment difficulties. The research advocates for using the RHS-15 screening tool to assess mental health, finding it suitable and acceptable for this group. It also provides recommendations for integrating the RHS-15 into clinical guidelines for midwives working with pregnant asylum seekers.

Let’s Talk Safety

The Let’s Talk Safety project, initiated by Fairspace with funding from Share-Net International,  examines the root causes and impacts of harassment and gender-based violence in Dutch Asylum Seeker Centers (AZCs), emphasizing the need for participatory solutions. The report underscores the importance of creating safer environments for asylum seekers by addressing systemic problems that exacerbate vulnerability, particularly for women and other marginalized groups. Drawing on firsthand experiences, the policy brief advocates for including asylum seekers in developing policies and procedures that affect their safety, aiming to create more inclusive, secure, and supportive environments within asylum centers.

Untangling the Mental Health of Forced Migrants and Sexual Violence Survivors

Rina Ghafoerkhan’s PhD thesis examines the psychological impact of forced migration, focusing on survivors of sexual violence and exploitation. Ghafoerkhan’s research aims to improve clinical practices for forced migrants and sexual violence survivors by collaborating with legal experts and anthropologists to assess existing frameworks around forced migration critically. The study highlights the diverse experiences of sexual exploitation, noting that survivors are often coerced into sex work through physical violence, imprisonment, or psychological manipulation, with repeated sexual violence being common. Ghafoerkhan emphasizes that many survivors continue to suffer long-term effects, such as PTSD. In response, the research advocates for the use of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), a treatment methodology that helps survivors process and heal from their traumatic experiences by constructing a detailed narrative of their trauma.

Click the link for the full report: https://arq.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/Rina%20Ghafoerkhan%20-%20Untangling%20the%20mental%20health%20of%20forced%20migrants%20and%20sexual%20violence%20survivors.pdf

Protecting Women and Girls in Refugee Camps: States’ Obligations Under International Law

This resource, published by The London School of Economics and Political Science, emphasizes the state’s role in protecting women and girls in refugee camps. Women and girls living in refugee camps are at far greater risk of rape and sexual assault. Living conditions are often unstable and unhygienic: camps foster insecurity rather than prevent it, and the female refugee is frequently deprived of her means of self-reliance. Women and girls are also at risk of being trafficked, and their access to justice is often limited. The report emphasizes the critical role of reparations in addressing the harm faced by survivors. These measures must be specifically adapted to the needs and priorities of women and girls, and their active involvement in designing, implementing, and monitoring reparation programs is essential. Recommendations include providing survivors with relocation options, regularizing their legal status, and ensuring justice mechanisms are accessible and responsive to the complexities of their experiences. Such interventions are necessary to address both the immediate and long-term consequences of violence in refugee camps.

Full report here: https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/110299/1/Muthiah_protecting_women_and_girls_published.pdf

Wherever We Go, Someone Does Us Harm

The report Wherever We Go, Someone Does Us Harm by Save the Children examines violence against refugee and migrant children traveling through the Balkans to Europe. It highlights the risks of physical, sexual, and psychological violence these children face during transit and in host countries. Unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable. It also highlights how the vulnerabilities these children face are often gendered. These girls are particularly vulnerable to child marriage, trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Some marry older men or pretend to be with their husbands for protection. Others join families to avoid abuse, but even those traveling with families are targeted. The report urges improved protection measures, better access to essential services, and coordinated international action to address these risks and ensure child safety. 

Read the full report here: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/Wherever-we-go-someone-does-us-harm-WEB.pdf

Displaced and Disregarded: Refugees and their Reproductive Rights

The Center for Reproductive Rights briefing paper highlights the critical vulnerabilities faced by migrant women and girls. The most vulnerable of refugee populations, women and children, constitute 80% of the world’s refugees. Women refugees are disproportionately affected by sexual coercion and gender violence. These vulnerable populations often experience violations of their sexual, reproductive, and general human rights during and after displacement. These challenges contribute to high rates of maternal mortality, morbidity, unsafe abortions, unwanted pregnancies, and STIs, including HIV/AIDS, within this population. The report underscores the urgent need to center reproductive rights in humanitarian responses, advocating for measures that address the specific health and safety needs of refugee women.

Read the brief here: https://www.reproductiverights.org/sites/default/files/documents/pub_bp_displaced_refugees.pdf

The Vulnerable Women’s Project: Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence

As part of the Refugee Council’s Vulnerable Women’s Project, this comprehensive literature review highlights the severe and widespread impact of sexual violence on refugee and asylum-seeking women. These women face disproportionate risks of sexual violence, including rape, both in their countries of origin and during their journeys to safety. Contributing factors include systemic societal and institutional failures, entrenched gender discrimination, and the breakdown of protective mechanisms during conflicts and displacement. The dangers of sexual violence are amplified in conflict zones such as the DRC and Syria, where systemic breakdowns leave women vulnerable to exploitation by smugglers or abuse in detention centers. The report critiques gaps in legal protection under frameworks like the Refugee Convention, which often fail to account for gender-specific vulnerabilities. Recommendations include implementing gender-sensitive asylum processes and expanding psychosocial support for survivors.

Full report: https://documentation.lastradainternational.org/lsidocs/RC%20VWP-report-web.pdf