© UNHCR/Catianne Tijerina empowering women


WHAT’S GENDER GOT TO DO WITH IT?


Forced to flee, women and girls face heightened risks


Home isn’t just shelter—it’s safety, especially for women and girls in countries where they’re less likely to have access to their rights. About 50 per cent of refugee, internally displaced or stateless populations are female; that can place them at heightened risk for potential harassment and sexual and gender-based violence.


In a large refugee camp with thousands of people, survival may mean having to fetch water or firewood. Girls and women may have to travel outside the camp, or visit less populated areas of the camp to fulfill daily chores, making them more vulnerable to sexual and other assaults.


The act of fleeing itself puts girls and women at increased risk, as a chaotic and dangerous situation can strip them of any protection they might have had at home, leaving single women and female heads of households highly vulnerable.


14 / UNHCR


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