Women and Girls with Disabilities in Conflict and Crises

People with disabilities have been found to ‘form one of the most socially excluded groups in any displaced or conflict-affected community’ (Pearce et al, 2016: 119). They may have difficulty accessing humanitarian assistance programmes, due to a variety of societal, attitudinal, environmental and communication barriers, and are at greater risk of violence than their non-disabled peers (Pearce, 2014: 4). Women and girls with disabilities are ‘particularly vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and violence, including gender-based violence (GBV), but they may have difficulty accessing support and services that could reduce their risk and vulnerability (Pearce, 2014: 4). This rapid review looks at the available evidence on the risks and vulnerabilities faces by women and girls with disabilities in conflict and crises and interventions to support them

Recognizing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence as Persecution Grounds for Women Seeking Refugee Status and Asylum

This thesis will explore both the possibility and necessity of establishing the question of whether or not gender-related claims are valid persecution grounds for women seeking refugee status or asylum, particularly in the form of SGBV. Through a human rights-based approach, this thesis will make a case for the recognition of SGBV as a persecution claim for refugees and asylum seeking women through a multi-sectoral approach using different entities and mechanisms to ensure that states are able to adopt legislation on gender-based persecution. In order to demonstrate the importance of recognizing gender as a factor in refugee claims, this thesis will examine the ways in which 3 countries - Canada, Germany, and the United States - have adopted policies towards refugees and asylum seekers making claims based on gender. Ultimately, this thesis will argue for a framework that not only holds individuals and states accountable for gender persecution but that also creates a specialized category of persecution based on gender. In doing so, this thesis will also unpack the legal definition of a refugee and discuss the ways in which the law has been used to support SGBV claims, as well as the implications of how the law is used. The current bodies of international human rights and refugee law will be examined and discussed in detail to show that despite the absence of references to SGBV in significant conventions, there is a growing movement that recognizes SGBV as a human rights violation and as valid persecution grounds for individuals seeking refugee status or asylum

Gender, Age and Migration: An extended briefing

In many parts of the world, migration has replaced fertility and mortality as the leading agent of demographic change. A person’s gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, sexuality and health or disability shape every stage of the migration experience. This briefing focuses on gender and age, offering an insight into who migrates and who doesn’t, reasons for migrating, experiences of the migration process and what life is like for different groups of migrants and refugees when, and if, they reach their destinations. The briefing concludes with a set of recommendation for more gender and age sensitive policy making on migration.DFI

Ukraine Policy Brief

The conflict in Ukraine has displaced more than 10 million people since the latest military offensive by the Russian Federation began in February 2022; more than 3.5 million people have fled to countries in the region and an additional 6.5 million people are forcibly displaced within Ukraine itself. As hostilities continue, the impact on civilians remains alarming, including damage to civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools, and the breakdown of vital services such as electricity and water. Among those displaced or in need of humanitarian aid due to this conflict, the Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) is particularly concerned about the situation for women, adolescent girls, children, and other marginalized populations such as people with disabilities, older people, LGBTQI+ individuals, the Roma community, and third-country nationals. Their unique needs in emergencies demand urgent responses, particularly to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV); meet critical health care needs, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care; and uphold their human rights.This policy brief outlines WRC's key concerns and our recommendations for policy and programming

How Does the European Union Talk about Migrant Women and Religion? A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Agenda on Migration of the European Union and the Case Study of Nigerian Women

Women with different identity and migration origins represent one of the most significant groups in the migration flows of the Mediterranean in recent years and the intersection of their religious identity and gender has been often neglected in migration policies. The paper applies the method of Critical Frame Analysis (CFA) to analyze the ways in which European policy documents address the intersection between gender and religious diversity. Through the CFA, the article examines the European Agenda on Migration and the priorities identified in the text. The analysis of the document is based on recent case studies of trafficked Nigerian women, which provide examples of the dangerous invisibility of ethnic and religious women in the priorities highlighted in the policy document of the European Commission. The CFA results show that the European Agenda on Migration, in responding to the increased number of arriving migrants from Africa and in designing a new approach towards mixed migration flows, lacks any reference to the gender perspective of migration and gender mainstreaming is missing from the text. The neutrality of the document and the securitization frame applied does not take into perspective the importance of recognizing a gender and intersectional dimension of migration flows, which impacts primarily women coming from African countries beholding strong religious beliefs

A Gendered Approach to Security and Violence in Refugee Camps

The purpose of this research is to explore the connection between the lack of security and increase of gender based violence in refugee camps. There are several factors that contribute to insecurity in refugee camps including but not limited to overcrowding, inadequate supplies of food and fuel sources, inadequate, ineffective, and under staffing and the physical layouts of camps. Many of these factors are the causes of the others and vice versa as well as have other consequences for refugees. All of these factors contribute to violence against refugees directly and indirectly. Furthermore, my research will illustrate how these factors also impede other refugee rights and exacerbate the challenges refugees face daily. Current international policies and law often conflict with national policies and law that are put in place to protect refugees. Both are cited to ensure refugee rights and protection but often do the opposite and instead protect the interests of the state. Attempts to create solutions to many of the issues in refugee camps or address the impacts of them have been made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the international community, and NGOs, however they have been widely ineffective or not considered all aspects of the problem