The Framing of the Feminization of Forced Displacement: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Refugee Women


Samantha DeBoer, York University

The feminization of forced displacement is a phenomenon with a disproportionate percentage of women and girls who are displaced worldwide, which has increasing consequences for women and calls for protection strategies to recognize these consequences. Refugee women are victimized through the representational discourse in terms of how they are spoken about and their visual depictions (Johnson, 2011). The paper examines the discursive practices that frame the issue of the feminization of forced displacement and construct representations of refugee women. Arguing that the discourse that constructs representations of refugee women has implications for their protection and integration in their resettlement community, this paper explores contributing factors to these global narratives, which are informed by Orientalism, to discover potential interventions. The methodology of critical discourse analysis and feminist theoretical framework uncovers how discourses shape the reality for refugee women, with the consideration of the intersectionality of their experiences. Feminist theory informs the conceptual framework of the gender binary, gender and cultural essentialism, representations of victimhood, and the discourse of victimization, which are applied to a critical discourse analysis of the UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls. This paper argues that the linguistic constructs and discursive practice contribute to misrepresentations of refugee women. The constructs perpetuate inequalities and reinforce homogenous representations of a diversity of experiences and identities of refugee women. The critical discourse analysis examines how the language and terms acquire underlying meanings which construct knowledge and ‘truth’, in addition to re-inscribing hierarchical power relations through discourse. Analysis of this issue uncovers the complexities of power, language, and policy in framing the experiences of refugee women. This paper finds that the dominant discourse constructs displaced women as passive victims, without recognition of their agency, resilience, and diverse experiences based on their identities. The implications of these discursive framings on policy and advocacy are explored in the Canadian refugee settlement sector, which underscores the importance of inclusive and effective approaches to addressing the needs of refugee women. The findings demonstrate that the constructs of refugee women perpetuate inequalities and reinforce stereotypes through ‘othering’, which can lead to misunderstanding of their intersectional experiences and ineffective response in the realm of international and national governance. This research contributes to a critical understanding of the intersectionality of gender, displacement, and power dynamics of discursive framing while centering the agency and experiences of refugee women through advocating for a nuanced approach to their representation in international policy documents. This topic is of increasing concern in the fields of gender studies, migration studies, and humanitarian discourse. This paper will contribute valuable insights into refugee women’s experiences and identities as represented in a guiding UNHCR document that impacts their acceptance, integration, and settlement. This paper is also relevant to the conference theme through its connection to sustaining shared futures of representation and response to refugee women’s experiences, as the global refugee crisis and feminization of forced displacement continue to be exacerbated by societal, political, economic, religious, and environmental conflict.

This paper will be presented at the following session: