The paper seeks to provide some insights into this phenomena. It argues that the imposed identity label of ‘refugee women’ and the oppressions subsumed within that label are a key element in the failure of protection of refugee women, perpetuating the discourse which confers impunity and social tolerance on perpetrators of sexual violence. The intersection and compounding effect of these dual identities as both women and refugees can explain their extreme vulnerability to gender based and sexual violence by actors who are confident of legal impunity and social acceptance.
The paper offers ways of addressing the sequale of this experience through a number of approaches. These include the recognition and enhancement of refugee capabilities and resilience, community education, community participation in generating solutions , and enhanced international protection mechanisms.