Abstract
Due to the increase in globalization, climate change, misogyny, and gender discrimination, the causes for mass displacement have changed significantly since the drafting of the1951 Refugee Convention. Furthermore, the reasons for forced migration and its impacts are different for men than for women (Gururaja, 2000). Although international law is gender neutral in theory, in practice it is not. (Crawley, 2000). The EU Women Lobby (EWL) believes that the 1951 Geneva Convention and the follow-up Protocol of 1967 failed to address current gender-specific acts of persecution, including sexual violence. Many decision-makers “have proven unable to grasp the nature of rape by State [or non-state] actors as an integral and tactical part of the arsenal of weapons deployed to brutalize, dehumanize, and humiliate women” (Maclin, 1995, p.226). As a result, when assessing a refugee status claim, many states are using a framework of male experiences to grant refugee status. In today’s more nationalistic and xenophobic global environment, more states are enacting overly restrictive legislation to block asylum seekers. As a result, many women who have been displaced mainly due to gender based violence or discriminatory social mores (e.g., FGM; bride burning; forced sterilization), would be sent back to their countries of origin where their likely fate will be death. This study provides recommendations for curriculum development and continuing education trainings regarding social and political action regarding refugees. It also provides a human rights framework for addressing the needs of female refugees through education and empowerment.
Presenters
Mioara DiaconuAssociate Professor, School of Social Work, Western Michigan University, Michigan, United States Linda Reeser
Professor, Social Work, Western Michigan University, Michigan, United States Laura Racovita
Professor of Social Work/ Dean, Social Work, Southern Adventist University, Tennessee, United States Maria Elena Ramos Tovar
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2020 Special Focus—Globalization and Social Movements: Familiar Patterns, New Constellations?
KEYWORDS
Gender Equity; Refugee Status; Curriculum Development; Globalization; Gender Discrimination
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