‘Soft strategies of resistance’: Refugee-led movements and women’s organising
- Publication Type:
- Conference Abstract
- Citation:
- 2025, (20)
- Issue Date:
- 2025-01-23
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Refugee women are often represented by development actors in binary positions as either sedentary/passive and innocent/deserving of humanitarian assistance, versus those who are threatening or unruly (Hyndman, 2011). Many non-governmental organisations unintentionally perpetuate the concept of women as always weak and vulnerable - neglecting the complex power relations which women engage in (Lokot, 2018). Refugee leaders’ and women’s organisations’ activism is even represented as problematic and illegitimate by some humanitarian actors, who question the legitimacy and capacity of refugees (Olivius, 2014). This panel challenges these notions with alternative narratives from refugee women, which show there is incredible strength and resilience demonstrated through surviving forced displacement and resisting oppression. Alternative narratives describe the contours of transformative renegotiations of gender dynamics in ways that reveal how refugee and host strategies within the context of daily struggles seek to emplace rather than displace (Subulwa, 2016).
Experiences of displacement, living in protracted transit and resettlement significantly alters and challenges traditional understanding of gender roles and relationships. At a personal level, refugee women express the tensions between their personal aspirations, roles as wives and mothers, community responsibilities, and complex interactions with humanitarian actors. Women enact their agency individually and collectively to maximise their access to information, resources and support services. In the creation of safer women-only spaces, members provide each other language and livelihood skills development, social connection, and leadership opportunities. These soft empowerment approaches are effective in building the confidence of women in resisting oppression and supporting their wellbeing. At a structural level, refugee collectives are required to engage with bureaucratic procedures and institutions not designed for them to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the state, while advocating for fulfillment of their human rights.
This panel will feature four speakers and then joint discussion on common themes of women’s empowerment, refugee leadership and community building in cities. Sajeda Bahadurmia is the founder of the Australian Rohingya Women’s Development Organisation (ARWDO), and will provide insights from her lived experience and challenges faced as a community leader and advocate for the Rohingya people. Dr Zoe Bell’s contribution to the panel draws on participatory action research with Sajeda and other members of the Rohingya community in Sydney around the formation of ARWDO. Zoe’s paper considers how community building and empowerment creates liveable spaces in contexts of oppression. Diah Tricesaria will share research based in Indonesia about safe spaces created by and for refugee women to resist structural violence, while replicating and preserving the hierarchy of the host society during protracted transit. Tamara Megaw’s paper elaborates on women-led refugee spaces with the case of Sisterhood centre, empowering women through education and peer support activities, despite their difficult living conditions in Indonesia.
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