Refugee women in Africa, COVID-19 and multisystem violence: when it rains it pours

Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals, nº. 133
Publication date: 04/2023
Author:
Oscar Mateos, Emma Santanach and Sabina Escobar
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 Oscar Mateos, profesor de Relaciones Internacionales, Facultad de Comunicación y Relaciones Internacionales Blanquerna, Universidad Ramon Llull, y coordinador del grupo de investigación GLOBALCODES, Universidad Ramon Llull (oscarmm2@blanquerna.url.edu). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9472-6379

Emma Santanach, máster en Relaciones Internacionales, Instituto Barcelona de Estudios Internacionales (IBEI) y colaboradora de GLOBALCODES (emmass@blanquerna.url.edu). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7838-0563

Sabina Escobar, máster en Derecho y Políticas de la Seguridad Internacional, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Países Bajos), y colaboradora de GLOBALCODES (sabinaep@blanquerna.url.edu). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7283-2389  

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to hit Africa (February–September 2020) was not particularly virulent either in terms of cases detected or lethality. However, the presence of the virus and the subsequent restrictions exacerbated pre-existing inequalities based on ethnicity, class and gender. This paper analyses the impacts of the pandemic on refugee women, who are subject to "structural vulnerability" and "multisystemic violence" in Africa. After analysing the ten African countries with the largest refugee populations, the different forms and levels of these impacts are systematised, along with the consequences and implications for refugee women in the long term, highlighting the need for strategies to be adopted towards this group at various levels.

Keywords: COVID-19, restrictions, Africa, women, refugees, structural vulnerability, multi-system violence

How to cite this article: Mateos, Óscar; Santanach, Emma y Escobar, Sabina. «Cuando llueve sobre mojado: COVID-19, violencia multisistémica y mujeres refugiadas en África». Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, n.º 133 (abril de 2023), p.41-63. DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2023.133.1.41

Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, n.º 133, p. 41-63
Quadrimestral (January-April 2023)
ISSN:1133-6595 | E-ISSN:2013-035X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2023.133.1.41

Reception date:  13.09.22 ; Acceptance date:  02.02.23

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