Resettled Refugee Women in the United States: Challenges in the Transition Process

Background: The United States currently is home to over 1.5 million refugee women and these numbers are on the rise. Many women endure severe hardships before resettlement including persecution, starvation, torture, sexual assault and witnessing the death of loved ones. Once resettled, these women face new challenges including language barriers, culture shock, unemployment, and unfamiliarity with the services. The process of resettlement as experienced by these women has been understudied. This exploratory qualitative study aims to understand the resettlement experiences of refugee women in the United States including challenges and needs that impact the transition to a new life in the United States.

Methods: Guided by critical a feminist methodology to explore pre and post resettlement experiences from the perspective of refugee women. We recruited a purposive sample of 25 women resettled in North Carolina. Individual in depth interviews focused on resettlement experiences were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy. Data was managed using Atlas.ti. Data analysis followed an iterative approach using both predetermined and emergent theme. Expert consultants from the academy and community informed interview and codebook development. Intercoder reliability was established. Reports were produced for coding categories. Participant review of findings was included in the final analysis.

Results: Several prominent themes emerged. Fear, guilt and hopelessness were the most prominent premigration themes. Loneliness, fear and sadness were the most prominent postmigration themes. Other themes such as frustration and barriers to successful resettlement also emerged. Women reported feeling shame associated with their refugee status and expressed a desire to learn English language and to further their education. Successful migration experiences were associated with early learning of English language and having a sponsor family in the United States.

Implications: These finding address a critical gap in assessing the needs for, and serving resettled refugee women by exploring their pre and post resettlement experiences. The needs expressed by the resettled refugee women should be taken into consideration when designing interventions for their successful transition, and integration in their resettlement communities. Future research should address appropriate coping strategies and support groups to deal with the transition experience.