Project summary
The project draws on Dr Sandra Pertek’s postdoctoral and doctoral research that examined the religious influences on the experiences of violence in forced migration and uncovered the religious and spiritual dimension of survivors’ resilience and vulnerability and the continuum of religious dis/engagement in humanitarian action.
The number of forcibly displaced people doubled in the last decade, around half of whom are women and girls. Women and men experience forced migration differently, with distinct vulnerabilities to violence and discrimination across forced migration routes, in countries of transit and refuge. Religion remains a significant factor in the experience of forced displacement. Globally more than eight in ten people (PEW, 2010), including many migrants (PEW, 2012), affiliate with a religion. On the one hand, in crises, people turn to religion for meaning and relief from anxiety, and on the other, displaced populations often experience religious discrimination and persecution. Yet, religion has been overlooked as a meaningful category in intersectional theory and humanitarian action.
In turn, this project develops an integrated intersectional and ecological guidance note and analysis tool to support the integration of religious factors into vulnerability and resilience analysis and humanitarian and development programme and policy design and delivery. Accounting for religion in the intersectional analysis is vital to help identify and mitigate intersecting risks and strengthen the resilience, coping and healing of displaced populations. An intersecting (gender and religious) analysis tool will be tested with refugee communities in Turkey and Poland to support socio-cultural and religious integration into the interventions.
Research objectives
This project aims to develop scholarship and practical resources on gender, religion and forced migration, focusing on integrating intersectional and socioecological approaches to understanding and engaging with religious influences in the experiences of violence against women in forced displacement. Practical resources will support the development of socio-cultural and religious sensitivity of humanitarian and migrant policies and programmes.
Outputs and impact
- Academic publications
- A policy briefing
- A guidance note on the intersectional and socioecological framework
- Intersectional (gender and religious) analysis tool
- Multi-stakeholder engagements
Publications
- ماية المرأة من االعتداء في النزوح القسري
- Pertek, S. (2024) Adaptive religious coping with experiences of sexual and gender-based violence and displacement. Journal of Refugee Studies, 37(2), 307-323.
- Pertek, S. (2024) How can Muslim charities improve protection from violence against women in displacement The Forum: The Journal of the British Muslim Charity Sector, 06, 63-67.
- Pertek, S. (2024) Faith sensitive protection from violence against women and girls in humanitarian and forced migration contexts. Guidance Note – Executive Summary. University of Birmingham
- Pertek, S. (2024) Faith sensitive protection from violence against women and girls in humanitarian and forced migration contexts. Guidance Note. University of Birmingham
- Pertek, S.I. (2023) Protection from violence against women in forced displacement: Integrating religion into intersectional and socioecological approaches Policy Briefing. Birmingham: University of Birmingham.
- Pertek, S.I and Le Roux, E. (2022) “Now what? Implications for researchers, policymakers and practitioners”, in Le Roux, E. and Pertek, S.I. On the Significance of Religion in Violence Against Women and Girls. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003169086-14.
- Pertek, S.I. (2023) A Muslim perspective: Religion as protective resource in violence against women and girls in Le Roux, E. and Pertek, S.I. Religion matters – on the significance of religion in violence against women and girls. Routledge.
- Pertek, S.I. (2023) A Muslim perspective: Religion as intersecting risk in violence against women and girls in Le Roux, E. and Pertek, S.I. Religion matters – on the significance of religion in violence against women and girls. Routledge.
- Le Roux, E. and Pertek, S. (2022) Religion matters – on the significance of religion in violence against women and girls. Routledge.Pertek, S.I. (2022) God Helped Us: Resilience, Religion and Experiences of Gender-Based Violence and Trafficking among African Forced Migrant Women. Social Sciences. 11 (5): 201. doi:10.3390/socsci11050201.
- Rutledge, K., Pertek, S., Abo-Hilal, M. and Fitzgibbon, A. (2021) Faith and mental health and psycho-social support among displaced Muslim women. Forced Migration Review (66) Oxford University.
- Pertek, S. (2020) “Deconstructing Islamic perspectives on sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), toward a faith inclusive approach” in Khan, I. & Cheema, A. (2020) Islam and International Development: Insights for working with Muslim Communities. Practical Action Publishin
Project Team
