The Plight of the Larger Half: Human Rights, Gender Violence and the Legal Status of Refugee and Internally Displaced Women in Africa

This article focuses on the barriers facing refugee and internally displaced women in Africa in accessing their rights, arguing that although women constitute the majority of refugee and internally displaced populations they are marginalized within many of the legal instruments. The article begins by reviewing the rights of refugee and displaced women under international law. There is a focus upon the practical elements of providing assistance in assessing the capacity of institutional actors to undertake protection activities. The article concludes with specific recommendations on developments within international human rights law to recognize the rights and needs of refugee and displaced women with greater accuracy. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International - Africa]