The Integration of Female Refugees in Tanzania

Abstract: This study examines the integration of female refugees who struggle to establish themselves in their new homes. Integration is widely researched in the field of migration, however the female perspective in African countries is minimally present in this debate. A focus is placed on barriers to their integration, and whether this affects their social and economic integration. Remaining obstacles to integration for refugees can be overcome by incorporating the female perspective into which barriers they face in integrating into their community. To the author’s knowledge, research in female refugee integration in Tanzania is scarcely produced in the academic field. Recent figures published by the World Bank (2020) showsthat the number of female migrants in the Sub-Saharan region was 48.3%. This number will only increase in the coming decades, particularly in Africa (Rubiano-Matulevich and Beegle, 2018). Therefore, investigating females' needs in this region proves critical to improving integration in the years to come. Refugee integration is the academic topic underpinning the context of this research. This topic fits into the category of peace and development because the subjects studied link into the economic, social, and political development of the area and region they are living in. The research is conducted employing a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and key informants in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The information they reveal in the interviews are used as data. The data is transcribed and coded into thematic subheadings in the results chapter. Ager and Strang’s (2008) integration framework in conjunction with intersectional feminist theory are the frameworks used to help analyse the data. Limitations arose from participants being unwilling to answer some questions because of the nature of the topic.  The research revealed that women and girl refugees experience barriers to integration in domains of their health, security, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Poor nutritional standards and inadequate infrastructure leave females with excess struggles as refugees. This is the case because of the intersecting categories they are placed in regarding their gender, age, and status as refugee. Improved facilities and responses to refugees that are gender specific is a way to improve integration outcomes for female refugees in Tanzania.