The Gender of Migration: A Study on the Syrian Migrant Women in Turkey

Abstract

Turkey hosts around 3.6 million Syrian migrants who fled Syria withthe start of thecivil war. While Syrian migrants face problems related to adjusting to a different society, their prolongedstay and uncertainty of their status makes them vulnerable to instances of xenophobia and hate crimes. Women, however, are at a double disadvantage. They have less opportunity to overcome the language barrier, get out of the domestic households, reach health services and employment opportunities, are vulnerable to instances of domestic violence, sexual abuse and exploitation. This paper aims to adopt a feminist perspective on International Relations by focusing on migration. Based on data collected through interviews with Syrian migrant women living in Kocaeli city, this study is aiming to find out how gender shapes the experiences of migrant women. The article will analyse how influential gender is in women’s decisions to leave the conflict zone, to settle in a different country, and their experiences in their new social environment.