Sexual and gender-based violence in international refugee law- examining whether women are effectively protected

Abstract

Refugee women experience the full spectrum of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) throughout the refugee experience. SGBV is a global crisis that refugee women are subjected to daily. Refugee women face SGBV in their countries of origin, during the journey, in transit, and upon arrival within their country of asylum. The SGBV that refugee women experience is often not considered a priority and the physical consequences of SGBV such as sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, unwanted pregnancy, injury and vulnerability to disease is often overlooked or ignored. Although there are international laws and domestic laws which are drafted to prevent and protect refugee women against SGBV, refugee women are in reality not effectively protected and refugee women have remained extremely vulnerable to SGBV.