Factors Influencing IPV among Women in Refugee Camps in Ghana: Exploring the Perspectives of Community Stakeholders

• In Event: Fragile Contexts and Global Community Disruption

Abstract

Globally, refugee women’s health and general living conditions are impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV) as compared to native residents. Extant literature has shown that refugee camps have disadvantages that expose women to violence in their intimate relationships when compared with other neighboughood contexts. The current study explored refugee camp leaders’ perspectives on factors contributing to women’s IPV experiences in two refugee camps in Ghana. Twenty-six community leaders were purposefully recruited. The study adopted individual interviews and talking circles as methods of data collection. The findings revealed four interrelated themes comprising individual, family, community, and societal level factors. The individual-level factors included sexual exploitation and sympathy for perpetrators. The family-level factor was a change in gender roles. In addition, community-level factors included fear of jeopadasing re-settlement to a developed country, and cultural disparities, while the societal-level factors included economic disadvantages, hopelessness, and prolonged stay in refugee camps. Policy recommendations included amendment of the Labour Act 2003 of Ghana to incorporate Articles 17 and 19 of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees to enable refugees to gain formal employment in Ghana. The study concludes that protracted refugee conditions and disadvantages in refugee camps expose women to IPV.

Authors

• Emmanuel Adomako Brenyah, University of Wollongong Australia

• Reigna Fafali Fiadjoe, Acknowledge Education Australia