UNHCR’s dialogues with refugee women: progress report on implementation of recommendations

Between November 2010 and May 2011, UNHCR held a series of Dialogues with
over 1,000 refugee, asylum-seeking and internally displaced women and girls, as
well as over 300 men and boys in seven locations around the world. This formed
part of a programme of activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the
1951 Refugee Convention and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on
the Reduction of Statelessness, and built on the Five Commitments to Women
and Girls made by UNHCR following a similar consultation process in 2001. The
Dialogues were undertaken in cooperation with the Centre for Refugee Research
at the University of New South Wales in Australia. They took place in both urban
and camp settings in India (Delhi), Colombia (Medellín), Jordan (Amman), Uganda
(Kyangwali refugee settlement), Zambia (Lusaka, also including refugees from
the Meheba and Mayukwayukwa settlements), Thailand (Mae La and Umpium
refugee camps), and Finland (Helsinki, including refugees living elsewhere in the
country). For the sake of simplicity, this report refers to country names rather than
the specific Dialogue locations: however, the findings do not necessarily apply to
the UNHCR operation in these countries as a whole.

The Dialogues provided participants with a platform to share problems and
develop solutions during several days of situational analysis workshops. A parallel
workshop enabled men and adolescent boys to engage in the process and
suggest ways to improve the protection of women and girls in their communities.
Discussions focused on ten core protection areas: women in leadership, sexual
and gender-based violence (SGBV), other forms of violence, legal issues,
education, economic self-reliance, individual documentation, health, sanitary
materials, and shelter. These were explored across the life cycle of women
and girls as well as men and boys, with a focus on vulnerable groups such as
unaccompanied minors, persons with disabilities and elderly persons. After an
in-depth analysis of their protection problems, Dialogue participants worked
together to develop practical solutions. They presented their recommendations
to governments, UNHCR, UN and NGO partners, and – crucially – their own
communities.