Civil Society Organizations in the Protection of Female Refugees: The Case of Greece

Abstract

Gender - related issues are central factors causing refugee flows, but also act as an impediment in the unhindered settlement and integration of female refugees in their receiving country. However, the gender aspect, as explained in the intersectionality theory, is often neglected in refugee rights’ analysis. Women refugees deal with continuous hardships before and during their journey, but their quest for a better life does not stop at the arrival on the European continent. Discrimination and Gender- Based Violence follow them at their arrival also in Greece, a major hosting country. The analysis below aims in this context to showcase the risks that refugee women face before, during and after their displacement, taking as a main paradigm the case of Greece. After that the effectiveness of the response system, through the collaboration of governmental and non - governmental actors, like NGOs and civil society organizations in Greek territory is examined. This paper establishes a causality between gender and dangers or insufficiencies faced by refugees and enlightens understated aspects of this issue.