Refugee Responses, State-Like Behavior, and Accountability for Human Rights Violations: A Case Study of Sexual Violence in Guinea

Using refugee camps in Guinea in 2002 as a case study, the author discusses how refugee women are frequently subject to sexual violence and sexual exploitation whiling lacking means to address these fundamental rights violations. It was found that the operation and structure of the Guinean refugee camps systematically disadvantaged women, made them dependent on men for assistance, and left them vulnerable to sexual violence. Although various governmental and non-governmental organizations worked together to fulfill state-like functions in the Guinean refugee camps, they did not provide an effective safeguard against violations of human rights. Barriers to effective rights-based refuge included lack of enforcement of laws and policies designed to protect women, limited access to justice, and ineffective accountability measures. The author argues that the protection of womens human rights must be a priority and advocates for the implementation of an accessible system of accountability for refugee women.

Alice Farmer, Refugee Responses, State-Like Behavior, and Accountability for Human Rights Violations: A Case Study of Sexual Violence in Guinea's Refugee Camps (2006) 9 Yale Human Rts & Dev LJ 44.