Socio-economical problems facing women refugee in refugee camps: a case study of Lugufu, Mtabila and Muyovosi refugee camps in Kigoma.

This study was set out to investigate the socio-economic problems facing women refugees in refugee camps, the case of Lugufu, Muyovosi and Mtabila camps in Kigoma region. The main research hypotheses were; (i) That women refugee in the three camps of Lugufu, Mtabila and Mtabila face several unique socio-economic problems than their male counterparts. (ii) That women refugee do not benefit effectively form projects initiated and designed by relief agencies, because these projects are designed and operated with little or minimum involvement and consultation of recipients. Data was collected through, interview, participant observation, focus group discussions and documentary review. Respondents of the study were women aged between 13 and 75 years who were deliberately picked in the study. The findings show that refugee women face many problems in these camps. When they were fleeing from Congo and Burundi they encountered many hardships on the way. These include rape, sickness, and death of relatives due to diseases and attack from soldiers, loss and theft of property by bandits and uncertainty of the future. Sectors of the health, education, food and water, clothes, have some problems and anomalies which affect the well being of refugee women. Other sectors with some problems are cash and income generating activities, relief distribution, security and repatriation. These results led the researcher to make several recommendations for the future planning of refugee services. For example, UNHCR and relief agencies should make thorough assessments of the needs of refugee women in specific countries and camps, and consequently, design and implement effective programmes. Financial, technical and advisory support should be provided to the groups of women to enhance self-reliance. Other recommendations ranged from women's empowerment to the call for further studies on the problems facing refugee women.