Unequal or unavailable: gender, leisure and quality of life of refugees in Turkey

ABSTRACT Leisure has proved to be a significant contributor to quality of life (QOL). In the refugee context, however, a literature review shows a gap in understanding refugees’ perceived availability and leisure contribution to QOL. Moreover, there are differences between men’s and women’s perceptions of leisure participation and availability. This study explored the differences between men and women refugees’ leisure participation as well as gender differences in perceived QOL among the refugee population in Turkey. A sample of 203 refugees completed a multi-language online survey. Refugees’ perceptions of different dimensions of leisure (i.e. active, passive, and social) and QOL (i.e. physical, psychological, social, and environmental) were compared across genders. Results revealed a significant difference between the psychological QOL of men and women. Neither leisure participation nor leisure availability showed significant differences between men and women. Both groups reported relatively poor availability of leisure. Their participation level was also reported below par.