Exploring Stakeholders' Interventions in Addressing Gender Roles and Norms that Obstruct Refugee Women's Access to Higher Education: A Case of Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda

Abstract

Gender roles and norms are known to affect women more than their male counterparts disproportionately. In effect, it discourages women and denies them the opportunity to fulfil their potential in various sectors/fields. Specifically, this study focuses on stakeholders' interventions in addressing gender roles and norms obstructing refugee women in Uganda from accessing higher education. The study was carried out in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda. The study used the qualitative research approach anchored in the advocacy worldview using intersectionality with a liberal feminist perspective as a philosophical lens. Using purposive and snowball sampling, 49 participants took part in the study. Using one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions, the study found that some stakeholders' initiatives have facilitated refugee women's access to higher education. Initiatives such as awareness raising, career guidance and mentorship, and legal and policy frameworks, among others, have been put in place to promote refugee women's access to higher education. Nevertheless, the study found that these initiatives have not adequately addressed the cultural, gender, socio-economic, and structural barriers that are still hindering refugee women's access to higher education. Thus, the study recommends that stakeholders should undertake more rigorous and intensive sensitization and advocacy to raise community awareness on aspects of gender roles and norms to break the gender-role stereotyping that is largely hindering refugee women's access to higher education. Also, the study recommends that livelihood and skilling programmes should target women refugees to curb the risk of being forced into desperate survival situations. These should be continuously monitored and evaluated, and refugee women are also encouraged to seek family planning services to relieve them from the childcare role so as to enable access and participation in higher education