Sub-Saharan African Refugee Women’s Lived Experiences of Gender-Based Violence and Their Adaptive Processes

Abstract

Political refugees from sub-Saharan African countries are often internally displaced and forced to flee from their homes and countries of origin out of fear for their lives. Many sub-Saharan African refugees migrate to South Africa in search for refuge and hope to resettle in the new host country that will award them the opportunities and support to start anew. However, refugee women face significant adversities before, during and after resettlement, with their experiences often characterised by gender-based violence (GBV) violations and daily hardships that cause immense stress, trauma, and at times, psychopathology. This study aims to shed some light on how the sub- Saharan African refugee women experience and navigate spaces of violence, discrimination and oppression, in order to inform future therapeutic interventions and policy focused on addressing inequalities and striving for a more just system and society. Furthermore, despite the refugee women facing such adversities, many refugees demonstrate an enormous ability to adapt, adjust and cope that aids their resilience and resettlement process in the host country. The adaptive processes one employs, and the efficiency of such, is deeply rooted within context and is influenced by cultural, social, economic, political, and personal factors. Accordingly, this study endeavours to contribute to the body of knowledge by using an intersectionality approach to explore sub-Saharan African refugee womens’ experiences of GBV and the adaptive processes they use to manage and cope with the trauma, stress and adversity they have experienced throughout the migratory process. To do this, a qualitative study was conducted amongst 15 sub- Saharan African refugee women from a therapeutic NGO, using source data in the form of therapeutic Intervention Process Notes (IPNs). The findings from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) reveal themes of perpetual sources of GBV and stress, both within South Africa and their countries of origin of the DRC, Burundi, Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as the pervasive role of patriarchy in contributing to the participants’ experiences of domestic violence and intimate partner violence (IPV). Within each of these themes, various intersectional identities played a role in facilitating and compounding the sub-Saharan African refugee womens’ unique experiences of vulnerability, GBV, oppression and marginalisation. Nonetheless, many of these women have continued to be resourceful, adjust and find creative ways of surviving. Hence, resilience emerged as a fourth salient theme. Their experiences suggest a tumultuous process of escaping and/or enduring violence and establishing a sense of safety and belonging amongst daily multifaceted stressors and inequalities, but also perceive the women as agentic drivers in their ability to hold onto hope, cope and persevere through adversity.