Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Keywords

Global comparison, Guidelines, Historical background, Intended outcomes, Policy on refugee women, Refugee women, Social justice

Abstract

The number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) has risen sharply over the last decade. This trend is the result of several causes such as the impact of climatic change, conflicts over diminishing resources, and religious and ethical disagreements. The largest and most vulnerable subgroup among refugees is women and their dependent children, and they are frequently subject to abuse and neglect. To address protection issues, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released the Policy on Refugee Women in 1990. The authors provide a comprehensive policy analysis, building on an exploration of the historical background and a presentation of policy goals. This exploration sets the stage for a discussion of the influence and viewpoints of major interest groups, such as donors, governments, and non-governmental organizations. The authors draw upon casestudies and a variety of literary resources to explore diversity issues, social justice concerns, and ethical interests. Furthermore, the authors assess the policy's implementation success by using the categories of positive outcomes (institutional change, new programming tools, improvement in refugee situation) and unintended outcomes (cultural and religious opposition, one-sidedness, negative conception). Finally, the authors present a comparison of the applications and implications of the 1990 UNHCR Policy from a global perspective, focusing primarily on the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada as exemplary countries. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for policymakers and project managers to further improve protection and assistance programs to meet the needs of refugee women and girls worldwide. © Common Ground, Barbara J. Kampa, Raphael Nawrotzki, All Rights Reserved.

Journal Title

International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Volume

4

Issue

8

First Page

39

Last Page

51

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18848/1833-1882/cgp/v04i08/52966

First Department

Behavioral Sciences

Acknowledgements

Retrieved February 17, 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260598414_Assisting_and_protecting_refugee_women_A_policy_analysis

Download

Share

COinS