Refugee Policies Based on Social Gender Needed for Syrian Women

Click here to read the article in Turkish / Haberin Türkçesi için buraya tıklayın

Okan University has organized a panel focusing on issues of Syrian refugee women within scope of March 8, International Women’s Day.

The United Nations, UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Regional Office Advisor Dr. Sabine Freizer, Ayslum and Immigration Research Center (IGAM) Director Metin Çorabatır, and Dr. Mouna Ghanem from Syrian Women for Peace Initiative have discussed social gender-based issues.

Asylum policies sensitive to social gender for women “stuck in masses” as to immigration whose individual applications are not assessed need to be designated.

“Humanitarian aid is just a pain killer”

“Despite all, Syrian women don’t accept to be ‘victim’ and continue the struggle to change social gender norms. Those to rebuild this country will be women because of their determination. I don’t speak of merely a truce; those who will establish sustainability and found a country that respects human rights are women”.

Ghanem moving to Denmark by leaving Syria in last May participated in via videoconferencing.

Ghanem remarked that incidents in Syria don’t affect Syrian women only, but all women in the region and lead to loss of vested interests.

Ghanem emphasized that the only way to stop refugee influx is to establish peace in Syria:

“Humanitarian aid is just a painkiller, what we need is to cure the sickness”.

“Geneva Convention has been written as if all the refugees are men”

Çorabatır has highlighted that even though it is considered refugee population is predominantly women, it is true all the time:

“It is not always possible for women to leave their country for traditional and cultural reasons. Compared to a man, it is harder for a woman to take her children and leave the house.

“The Geneva Convention, because of the age it was written, has been written as if all the refugees are men. There are expressions used such as ‘his country’. Women have diverse reasons for immigration; motives like woman genital mutilation, murders committed under the name of honor are not included in the convention.

“Turkey already wasn’t entitling the ones that don’t come from Europe as refugee, gave temporary protection, and settled them in third world countries. This system was working but the number has greatly increased. Now an alternative and a ‘temporary’ system has been founded for Syrians. So, the system which was temporary now has become more temporary. There is no integration system in Turkey. We are still playing with the words and talk about ‘compliance’ instead of integration”.

"Refuges should be given priority in cases such as forced marriage, violence, genital mutilation"

Freizer touched on that Syrian refugees can’t find the chance to express themselves since they don’t the right to individual application, and said “They are stuck in masses”. Freizer added that new asylum regulations negatively affect LGBTI members too.

Freizer reminding that Article 1,325 of the United Nations, and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) in addition to İstanbul Convention stipulate system sensitive to social gender, stated that refuges should be given priority in cases such as forced marriage, violence, genital mutilation.

“Government in Turkey is trying to accord all rights provided for citizens of Turkey to refugees. However, this approach doesn’t meet all needs of refugee women. For instance, they lack social support services to which those exposed to violence can apply. When they are exposed to violence and go to women shelters, they are not accepted or can’t find a room.”

Lastly touching on deficiency of official data as to refugees, Freizer said “If you don’t have basic data, you don’t do precise but an approximate work”. (ÇT/TK)