Paper details
| Paper authors | Shirin Heidari, Ryan Whitacre, Thanasis Tyrovolas, Meric Caglar, Jinan Usta, Hala Abu Taleb, Monica A Onyango |
| In panel on | Transactional sex in humanitarian contexts |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
Forced displacement catalyzes a series of structural vulnerabilities, as refugees and asylum-seekers are granted few legal and economic opportunities in transit and host countries. To navigate conditions of structural vulnerability, refugees and asylum-seekers create various survival strategies, which may include practicing transactional sex.
The Liminality Consortium is conducting the first large-scale transnational study examining patterns, drivers, and consequences of transactional sex in forced displacement, which seeks to characterize structural factors associated with transactional sex practices by examining how refugees encounter structural vulnerabilities, create survival strategies, manage risks of illness, and navigate local health systems.
To date, this research has been conducted in five countries (Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, Switzerland, and Turkey) between fall 2021 and summer 2023 and temporarily interrupted to manage risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) with humanitarian workers and policy experts. Analysis is focused on patterns, drivers, and
consequences of transactional sex in forced displacement.
Preliminary findings demonstrate structural drivers of transactional sex practices in forced displacement, highlighting patterns by region and gender, and consequences for the mental, reproductive, and sexual health of refugees.
