Refugee women are often absent from political discourse, research and the media. On this March 8, International Women's Day, let's make them visible because the story of women in need of international protection, often different from that of men, deserves to be told.
In 2017,
68.5 million people were forced to leave their homes. We then speak of forced displacement because an element of coercion is at the origin of the migratory movement, due to threats against the life or integrity of the people concerned. Of these people, 40 million are displaced within the borders of their own countries. The others seek refuge abroad and can therefore be qualified as forced migrants. . There are no less than 25.4 million refugees And
3.1 million asylum seekers worldwide.
In 2017, 1 in 2 refugees was a woman. Women therefore constitute a significant proportion of people in need of international protection. However, this reality varies depending on the region. Women represent 39% of refugees in Europe, 47% in America, 48% in the Middle East, 48% in Asia, and 51% in Africa. Despite these figures, women are often absent from political and media discourse, the figure of the person seeking international protection often being associated with that of a man. However, the status of a woman can also influence the motivations for departure of the displaced person, their migratory journey as well as the status granted to them and the welcome given to them in the country of destination. Failure to recognize these specificities threatens to perpetuate or even exacerbate certain vulnerabilities and discrimination. This analysis presents the specific difficulties encountered by people identifying as women, who have been forced to leave their country and who have submitted an application for international protection in Belgium. However, we need to clarify two aspects before continuing our discussion. On the one hand, this analysis focuses exclusively on forced migration to Belgium. This therefore represents only a tiny part of forced migration flows on a global scale. Let us recall in this regard that
Europe (excluding Turkey) only hosts 14% of the world refugee population. On the other hand, this analysis is limited to considering the circumstances that push women to leave their country of origin specifically because they are women. Therefore, we do not address the causes that simultaneously affect women and men nor the difficulties that they have in common. Likewise, we are only looking at a specific part of a broader gender analysis. Remember that “gender” refers more generally to relationships between human beings based on their identity, status, roles and responsibilities which are defined or constructed socially or culturally. Gender is thus a broader notion that also includes LGBTQ+ people. As part of this analysis, we will therefore limit ourselves to presenting the specificities of people identified as women.
Reasons for leaving specific to women Men and women can be forced to leave their homes for the same reasons, whether due to conflict or persecution. However, women sometimes also give reasons for fleeing that are specific to them. On the one hand, this includes structural discrimination which leads to situations of violence (physical, sexual, psychological or economic), threat, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. These include: forced marriages, genital mutilation, domestic violence, sexual abuse, honor killings, but also persecution of activists defending women's rights. This also includes violence against women in the event of armed conflict, since they are at systematically higher risk, particularly due to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Dangerous migration routes Resettlement is one of the few legal pathways that allows vulnerable refugees to travel to a safe country without risking their lives. While the United Nations refugee agency estimates that around 1.2 million people need resettlement worldwide, only a tenth will have a place. Due to the lack of legal and safe routes, the closure of European borders (notably the Balkan and Spanish route) and the signing of European Union agreements with third countries, such as Turkey or Libya, with the aim of stemming migration towards Europe, migrants are forced to take even more dangerous routes. These roads are dangerous for everyone. They are even more so for women, especially those who travel alone. The latter are then more exposed to harassment, extortion, assault or sexual violence. According to the United Nations, at least one in five refugees or displaced women have been victims of sexual violence. Smugglers and the authorities can resort to sexual blackmail. This is typically the case at borders generally controlled by men. On the Moroccan-Spanish border, for example, sexual violence against women is systemic. This has serious consequences for women who, in addition to harming their physical and psychological integrity, risk becoming pregnant in an environment where access to health care is difficult. Generally speaking, the figures show that women who migrate “irregularly” have a greater risk of death than men. It is specifically drowning which was the main cause of death for migrant women in 2017. The proportion of drowned women is in fact higher than that of men (64 % compared to 42 % of men). There are various reasons for this, including the place assigned to women in boats, the greater likelihood that they cannot swim, the weight of their clothing and the presence of children.
From application to recognition of status In 2017, the General Commission for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRA) received 19,688 applications for international protection. 36.4% of these requests were submitted by women. This result varies depending on the country of origin. For example, as shown in the graph below, 46% of Syrian asylum seekers are women, and 17% of Afghan asylum seekers.
This lower number can be explained for two reasons. On the one hand, resources (financial, cultural capital, etc.) are on average lower among women, which hinders their ability to undertake a long-distance migratory journey. On the other hand, due to the dangerous nature of the road, it is often the men who leave first in order to request asylum, and then bring their families via family reunification. . During the procedure, applicants for international protection are assigned to collective reception centers. However, many do not feel safe there. A study by Vrouwenraad thus highlighted the bad practices of Belgian closed and open centers in terms of inclusion of the gender dimension and the promotion of gender equality in reception policy. This highlighted, among other things, the inadequacy of the psychological assistance offered to women, victims or not of violence, the absence of a support structure in terms of childcare, the inadequacy of the mix of dormitories and sharing of health infrastructure, and the lack of leisure activities or training specifically designed for women . Ultimately, it is on the basis of a long interview that the CGRS will determine whether or not the person corresponds to the conditions for refugee or subsidiary protection status.
- Refugee status is granted to anyone who, because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a certain social group or political opinions, risks being persecuted. . This definition does not explicitly refer to gender-related persecution. However, it is generally recognized that women belong "to a certain social group", and that the definition of refugee, correctly interpreted, therefore includes gender-related protection requests.
- Subsidiary protection status is granted to the person who cannot be considered a refugee, and in respect of whom there are serious grounds to believe that, if he were returned to his country of origin or, in the case of a stateless person , in the country in which she had her habitual residence, she would run a real risk of suffering serious harm, and who cannot or, taking into account this risk, is not prepared to avail herself of the protection of that country .
It should be noted that these long interviews at the CGRS require very detailed answers. This can be particularly difficult for women, especially those who experience sexual abuse or other harm involving stigma and community rejection. Furthermore, some women are not aware of the fact that the violence of which they are victims can influence the decision or even that it could lead to recognition of protection.
“When I was 15, my father wanted to marry me to an older man from Saudi Arabia. I fled Morocco and arrived in Belgium via Spain. Why Belgium? Because my mother had family there. I'm not sure why my family in Belgium didn't apply for asylum at the time. Do you think I would have been entitled to it? ". Awa (28 years old, Morocco, 10 years in Belgium)
Although fewer women apply than men, their protection rate is generally slightly higher (59% applications are accepted against 51% applications for men). In 2013 (latest figures available), 19.8% of all decisions taken by the CGRS related to stories related to gender (in the broad sense, including sexual orientation). More precisely, 8% are decisions related to forced marriage, 5% to female genital mutilation and 3% to sexual violence. If the request for international protection is refused, some women still decide to stay on Belgian territory. They then find themselves without papers, and therefore without access to a protection system, they are then particularly vulnerable to different forms of exploitation, whatever they may be, including human trafficking. . Most trafficking victims detected worldwide are women, mainly adult women, but increasingly also girls. The proportion is even greater when trafficking continues for the purposes of sexual exploitation. On the other hand, it is less for exploitation for the purposes of forced labor (only 35% of victims are women).
“Of the three days I worked as a cleaner, he only paid me for two. What could I possibly do? ". Awa (28 years old, Morocco, 10 years in Belgium)
Conclusion While many women (and many men) around the world are entitled to international protection, legal avenues for accessing this protection remain extremely limited. The migration route to Belgium illustrates the enormous risks they face, especially those who travel alone. Some of these risks still remain on Belgian soil. However, these dangers are not inevitable. The establishment of legal and safe routes would limit the risk of violence against women on the road. Asylum procedures and reception and integration structures that are more attentive to the specific needs of women would ensure the protection to which they are entitled. The visibility of women ultimately does not depend on their presence but on the way we see them. Giving them this visibility would also ensure that they are protected, and that they are given the opportunity to develop their potential and, therefore, to realize themselves.
“I stopped my studies when I left Morocco. I was a good student back then but I never started studying again. How do I earn my living now? What do you think ? I do the cleaning obviously. » Awa (28 years old, Morocco, 10 years in Belgium)
Agathe Smyth with the Caritas International association
Attachments
