The Influence of Gender in Refugee Camp Safety: A Case Study of Moria and Kara Tepe in Lesvos, Greece

Abstract

This article focuses on the safety of women in the overcrowded and underfunded Moria refugee camp, on the island of Lesvos, Greece. The current refugee crisis in Europe has shown unprecedented numbers of forcibly displaced people, and many women and young girls are forced to flee alone or without male accompaniment. Despite their best efforts, camp managers struggle to improve female refugees' safety in the Moria camp due to lack of adequate resources. Female refugees fear violence and sexual assault there and have virtually no mechanisms through which to report assault or receive assistance. Another camp on Lesvos, Kara Tepe, has a safer environment for women and young girls. A comparative analysis of the two camps alongside relevant scholarship suggests that women's safety in refugee camps can be improved through involvement from local grassroots organizations and refugee women in decision-making processes regarding programming focused on reducing sexual and gender-based violence.