An Integrated Migration Model for Coping with Gender-Based Violence Among Refugee Women

Background

Amid a global crisis, where over 43.7 million refugees are registered, approximately half are women who are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence (GBV). Refugee women face increased risks of GBV alongside other challenges throughout their migration journey, including in their country of origin, in transit, and while awaiting refugee status determination. One in 3 refugee women report having experienced lifetime GBV, and these experiences can severely impact the health of survivors. Coupled with the realities of forced migration, these factors influence the complex nature of trauma and recovery. Understanding how they cope with such violence requires a framework that considers both the temporal phases of migration, and the psychosocial processes involved in coping. This paper proposes an “Integrated Migration Process of Coping” model combining the Migration Process Framework with the Integrated Theory of Stress and Coping, presenting a view of psychosocial coping strategies across migration phases.

Methods

The proposed combined model employs three migration phases as contextual anchors for analyzing stressors and coping responses among 50 refugee women residing in Nairobi, Kenya: 1) at the country of origin, 2) in transit, and 3) while awaiting refugee status determination. Utilizing the Integrated Theory of Stress and Coping, the model examines how refugee women perceive GBV-related stressors and leverage personal, cultural, and structural resources to navigate these challenges during different migration phases. This paper outlines a qualitative research design that includes 50 in-depth interviews with refugee women survivors of GBV from five different countries: South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We employed reflective thematic analysis to evaluate the interviews, with two research assistants reviewing them independently before convening to reconcile any differences.

Results

Preliminary findings indicate that women's coping strategies are not static; rather, they evolve in response to their environments, available support systems, resources, and personal evaluations as survivors. One participant described gender-based violence (GBV) in her country of origin as having impacted her throughout her migration journey, detailing instances of honor-based violence from her family during transit. They believed that her sexual abuse brought shame to the family. She described her process of evaluating stress and how she turned to religion and support from organizations as a means of coping. Generally, women tend to rely significantly on familial and spiritual coping mechanisms. During transit, their strategies shift towards more protective measures, with adaptive strategies such as avoidance, emotional suppression, and drawing support from organizations and host communities. Upon reaching their host countries and while awaiting refugee status determination, coping mechanisms expand to include institutional support, advocacy, and engagement in community leadership.

Conclusion

The integration of the two frameworks reveals how adaptive coping strategies are shaped by shifting environments, access to resources, and cultural meanings attached to GBV. It provides a comprehensive lens for studying coping among refugee women survivors of GBV and a foundation for developing culturally responsive, contextually grounded interventions that align with the realities of forced migration and the complex nature of trauma recovery.