A gendered analysis of Palestinian refugee women’s experiences of migration from Syria to Türkiye

Abstract

After the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, millions of people fled Syria across its borders. This gave way to a new category of people, “Syrian refugees.” While this categorical understanding constitutes the basis for legal entitlements, it homogenizes all fleeing Syria and results in concealing the differential experiences and vulnerabilities of particular groups. The paper challenges this blanket categorization by focusing on the migration experiences of Palestinian women from Syria to Türkiye around the concepts of biological and social reproduction which represent the largely neglected aspects concerning the process of forced migration. By drawing on six women’s experiences, the paper concludes that the homogeneity of the Syrian migrants is an illusion; women’s migrations are shaped through their gendered and ethnic history; and women face gender-specific challenges and opportunities in both home and host countries. We particularly argue that policies on border control and migrant’s integration fail to consider the subjective conditions and needs of particular groups within the Syrian migrants.