Chapter 4 - Women and Children Refugees

Opening Exercise

Roshani’s Story

Roshani was a teacher of several years experience in a South Asian country. She decided to leave her country after being raped by military troops.

One of her brothers, who lived in Germany, kept contact with Roshani, and she took advantage of an invitation to visit him. Everything was organised through a contact, through whom she was given a passport and ticket with the assurance that ‘friends’ would help her further.

Roshani was put on a flight to Kiev in the Ukraine, where she was supposed to change plane. Three so-called friends met her at the airport and took her travel documents, with the explanation that she was now in their care. Suddenly, Roshani found herself imprisoned in a flat, together with five other women of different nationalities, and forced into prostitution.

All her pleading to contact her brother in Germany was in vain. About four months later, Roshani was put in a container vehicle at night, with two other Sri Lankan women. She had no idea where she was heading for. After days of traveling only by night, the women were told by the driver that they had arrived in Berlin and were dumped there. A police car picked them up and placed them in a detention prison as they were in Germany illegally, with no evidence to back their story. Roshani submitted an application for asylum, and with the help of a lawyer, she was released after three months and sent to a hostel for asylum seekers.

Taken from ‘War has changed our life, not our spirit – Experiences of forcibly displaced Women’. (JRS – 2001)

Question

What, in your opinion, is the single biggest difficulty faced by women refugees?


 

Activity

Scenario:

The number of women and children refugees coming to your country has increased recently. You are responsible for ensuring that these two vulnerable groups are provided adequate protection and care. What measures would you bring about to ensure that protection?
 

Links and further reading:

War has Changed our Life, not our Spirit – Experiences of forcibly displaced women:
http://www.jrs.net/pubs/books/wb.php?lang=en 

Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children
http://www.womenscommission.org 

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers:
http://www.child-soldiers.org