Discrimination experiences of female refugees: An evaluation from the perspective of professionals working in non-governmental organizations

Migration refers to the voluntary or forced departure of people from the places where they sustain their lives, followed by a series of physical, psychological, and environmental changes. The intense movement experienced during migration brings various challenges. Women tend to experience more problems than men throughout the migration process. Gender inequality, discrimination, and unequal opportunities are among the foremost issues during migration. When examined with a holistic perspective, discrimination persists throughout the entirety of these issues. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the discrimination experiences of female refugees from the perspective of professionals working in civil society organizations. Within the scope of the research, the activities carried out by professionals working in civil society organizations to address the discrimination issues faced by female refugees have been examined. The study investigated the resources used by professionals to address the problems and focused on their effectiveness in the resolution processes. This study was conducted using a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research models. The data of the study were obtained using semi-structured interview forms and in-depth interview techniques. All individuals participating in the interviews were selected on a voluntary basis, consisting of social workers, psychologists, lawyers, and sociologists working in civil society organizations in the field of female refugee support. In this context, interviews were conducted with 17 participants. In the evaluation stage of the data, the NVivo 10 program was used to create themes through content analysis of the data obtained from the participants. The research data consists of 4 main themes and 17 subtopics, namely "Evaluation of National and International Level Services and Policies for Refugees", "Evaluation of National and International Level Services and Policies for Female Refugees", "Issues and Discrimination Faced by Female Refugees", and "The Role of Civil Society in Combating Discrimination Against Female Refugees". Within the scope of the study, it has been revealed that the content of agreements related to the field of migration is sufficiently robust; however, there are significant challenges in terms of applicability, with the issue of applicability being largely attributed to a lack of oversight. In general, it has been concluded that the activities of civil society organizations for refugees in Turkey address needs and problems that the state either cannot reach or respond to swiftly. Although there are various agreements and laws that women refugees can resort to and seek their rights under before, during, and after migration, it is believed that these laws and agreements lack inclusivity. It has been observed that the efforts and struggles of civil society organizations to reduce or eliminate discrimination against female refugees are not sufficient. In this context, the attained results have been interwoven with recommendations and discussed under the headings of the public domain, civil society domain, and professional practitioners. The conclusions of the research have been brought to the attention of policymakers, civil society organizations/workers, academics, and refugee rights advocates. Keywords: Refugee, Female Refugee, Discrimination, Civil Society Organization