We Can’t Step Back: Women Specially…A Narrative Case Study on Resilience, Independence, and Leadership of a Bhutanese Refugee Woman

Abstract

One of the fastest emerging global public health crises is the rapid increase in the population of forcibly displaced people, known as refugees. Refugee women, particularly, are at a greater disadvantage due to their social positioning related to gender norms, language barriers, and lack of resources. They are also more likely to experience structural and situational stressors. Despite myriad negative factors, studies show refugee women employ resilient strategies to overcome their stressors. This study uses a narrative analysis approach to understand how a Bhutanese refugee woman’s experiences throughout her journey of birth, double displacement, and resettlement were expressed through her resiliency and independence and culminated into a community leadership role once she was resettled in the United States. Data were collected using extensive observational field notes and multiple formal and informal interviews. The story was co-constructed with the participant through an iterative process of developing, verifying, and refining to increase accuracy. Implications for social work practice emphasize the need to identify and support women as leaders in the community, to connect refugee communities with organizational resources, and to preserve and promote the voices of women leaders and empower their position in their communities.