Gender-Based Violence and Migration: What Does Evidence Suggest?
By Caresse Brown
The United Nations defines gender-based violence (GBV) as an “umbrella term for any harmful act perpetrated against a person’s will, based on socially ascribed (gender) differences. GBV can take on many forms including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal and psychosocial. In heteropatriarchal societies, GBV disproportionately affects women, girls and the LGBTQ+ community. The predominance of GBV is pervasive and it continues to occur at alarming rates. According to a UN Women policy report, globally, one in three women has experienced some form of GBV at least once in their lifetime.
GBV is perpetuated under stereotypical norms and unequal power dynamics — be it within education, family relationships or at work. Acknowledging these dynamics is key to developing effective interventions. While movements such as #MeToo helped drive more attention to this issue; it still remains largely urban-centric. In contexts of heightened vulnerability, popular movements do not always capture the realities for marginalized women. For example, migrant women from lower-income countries are disproportionately victimized as a result of their precarious circumstances. The following section explains this in more detail.
Is there a link between GBV and migration?
Globally, there are approximately 244 million migrants. Out of that, 19.6 million are reported to be refugees. Across these statistics, women represent more than half of the demographic. Gender and migration are intersecting factors that mutually affect each other. Migration can be a means to achieve positive outcomes and opportunities, especially for individuals and groups seeking the betterment of their everyday lives and empowerment of fundamental human rights. However, in some contexts, it can also be an avenue riddled with discrimination, exploitation and stigma based on individual or group characteristics. As such, gender can influence an individual’s experience of migration.
Migrant women may find themselves subject to a continuum of violence at every stage of their migration journey — origin, en route, in transit, or on arrival at their destination — arising from inadequate access to safe and standard migration pathways. The risks continue as migrant women and girls attempt to make a living in the host country. The perpetrators of GBV may come from a range of groups, including human traffickers and smugglers, police and border authorities, intimate partners and employers.
Conflict, climate change and GBV against migrant women
Evidence suggests that conflict, and subsequently mass displacement due to climate change and its consequences, increase the vulnerability of migrant women and girls to GBV. Rape in conflict is often used as a deliberate military strategy, and is feared most by women and girls as soon as the shooting starts. For instance, violence against women and girls accounted for 97% of conflict-related sexual violence cases reported in 2021. A review of 19 studies across 14 countries estimates that 21% of displaced women experienced sexual violence. The real figure is likely to be much higher, as recording of incidents is shoddy and women are often afraid to speak out from fear of social stigma. Further, up to a third of girls living in a humanitarian setting report that their first sexual encounter was forced.
Covid-19 and its impact on GBV against migrant women
Conflict and climate induced displacement are not the only drivers of sexual and gender-based violence. Health emergencies like COVID-19 and its resultant restriction on movement is also a factor contributing to GBV. Across the world, migrant women and girls faced similar experiences during Covid. Across 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for instance, interviews with refugee and displaced women revealed an increased prevalence of domestic and sexual violence during COVID-19 (73% and 51% respectively); 32% of these women indicated a risk of early and forced marriages. Meanwhile, in Colombia, displaced women and girls reported 40% more unintended pregnancies as a result of GBV than those who were not displaced.
The case of Chin women in India
Unable to secure stable and long-term work, it is common for Chin refugee women in India to take up seasonal employment as waitresses/servers at weddings when demand is high. In these circumstances, there have been several reports of GBV against them. While some women have attempted to seek justice, their efforts have not led to any appropriate retribution against the perpetrators.
Chin women also find domestic work as housemaids and become subject to unprofessional and inhumane treatment by employers, such as working overtime and wage theft. Many endure these conditions in order to support their families but this comes at a cost; working such long hours with little-to-no support has negative implications on child care and household maintenance. Consequently, Chin refugee women become stuck in a depressing cycle of GBV.
As India is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or the 1967 Protocol, there is no procedural mechanism for protection or even a clear domestic refugee policy. As a result, refugee groups are not entitled to legal protections against GBV or other crimes. Perpetrators seek to exploit these conditions and this reality dissuades refugee women and girls from seeking justice and legal redress against GBV due to a fear of discrimination and persecution.
Breaking the cycle of GBV against migrant women
These statistics do not begin to cover the extent of the issue; there is a recognized data-based gap — migrant women’s experiences, the risks they face and the circumstances of their untimely deaths are either sparsely reported, not accurately documented or altogether missing from available data — which again feeds into the continuum of violence and unsubstantial legal redress. Therefore, promoting the ethical collection, analysis and dissemination of such data pertaining to migrant women and girls’ experiences of GBV is vital.
Research shows that movements, such as the 16 days of activism campaign, are key drivers of policy change. In 2022, the theme focused on Ending Femicide, especially among the most vulnerable groups. This included Black women, minority ethnic women, women with disabilities, women workers and women with vulnerable immigration statuses.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) runs several programmes to combat GBV among migrant women and girls. For example, in Kutupalong, the world’s largest refugee camp, young Rohingya refugees have become part of the solution itself. UNHCR and their partners offer these young refugees training and support to conduct awareness-raising activities with the larger Rohingya population. Programmes, such as SASA! Girls Shine and Male Role Models are thought to be bringing forth results.
UNHCR also offers a GBV toolkit, containing information and resources, for both specialists and non-specialists. This can be found here: https://www.unhcr.org/gbv-toolkit/. The UN recommends steps such as furthering the development and implementation of targeted laws and policies, improving data around GBV, as well as strengthening the provision of essential services and awareness-raising initiatives with regard to migrant women remain crucial to re-centering the narrative.
UN Women further urges that not only must reports of GBV against migrant women be meticulously handled, but that victims and survivors must also have access to quality, holistic and comprehensive survivor-centered and trauma-informed services and support — having safe access to these resources can go a long way in helping migrant women and girls feel safer and more protected. Stakeholders must engage in capacity-building activities to ensure the same can be sustained and continue work on establishing adequate referral pathways. For instance, screening for GBV during health check-ups, offering migrant women contraceptives, and conducting safety audits in refugee camps can go a long way in ensuring their safety. Women’s rights are human rights, and we must continuously advocate for those often left behind, including migrant women and girls.
Caresse Brown is currently interning at India Migration Now.
Editorial Support by Pooja Bhatia.
