WUNRN
UNIFEM - http://www.womenwarpeace.org/node/3
WOMEN, WAR, PEACE - REFUGEES,
INTERNALLY DISPLACED
PERSONS, ASYLUM SEEKERS - WOMEN
& GIRLS
]
The
often-cited statistic that as many as 80 per cent of displaced populations are
women and children fails to convey the complete devastation that displacement
visits upon women and communities. Leaving homes, property and community behind
renders women vulnerable to violence, disease and food scarcity, whether they
flee willingly or unwillingly. Internally displaced women face additional
dangers as they are often invisible to the international community within
the context of violent conflict. Camps for refugees and the internally
displaced have been criticized for not addressing women’s needs and concerns in
their design and procedure. Failure to account for women’s security and health
needs can make a camp that was intended to provide refuge a dangerous and
deadly place for women and girls. Fortunately, the UN, governments and civil
society organizations that serve displaced women are beginning to rise to the
challenge of including women and a gender perspective at every stage of
policy-making and implementation.
Specific challenges faced by female displaced persons include but are not limited to:
Refugee: The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as any person who:
"... Owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it." The 1967 Protocol extended the application of the Convention to the situation of "new refugees"; more... The convention's definition of "refugee" excludes gender-based persecution as a legitimate claim for asylum. more...
Internally Displaced Person (IDP): According to UNHCR, an internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who, like a refugee, has been displaced by crisis or conflict but, unlike a refugee, has not crossed an international border. In other words, IDPs are displaced within their own home countries. This can make assistance and protection much more difficult. Of the estimated 25 million IDPs around the world, “UNHCR currently helps over 5.6 million of those internally displaced, and a lively international debate is underway on how to more effectively help this group." more...
Asylum Seeker: Often confused with the term "refugee," UNHCR defines an asylum seeker as "a person who has left their country of origin, has applied for recognition as a refugee in another country, and is awaiting a decision on their application." more...
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