| Popis: |
The livelihood spaces that refugee women from Chin State, Burma have carved for themselves in their country of first asylum, India, remain relatively unexplored. This study uses a grounded, qualitative methodology to explore the lived experiences of Chin refugee women who engaged in or pursued risky livelihoods in Delhi, India between 2012 and 2014. The concept of livelihood represents a starting point to not only uncover the work experiences of the participants, but to also explore the participants perceptions and experiences of risk and survival within the wider context of Delhi. Qualitative data collection was carried out with 72 Chin refugee women in Delhi, India, over three fieldwork visits. Twenty-eight in-depth interviews took place in July and August 2012, while four focus group interviews took place in January 2014. Data was analysed using a constructivist method informed by grounded theory. The findings indicate that there was no distinction between risk at work and risk in public space; risk permeated participants entire living context in Delhi. It was uncovered that participants experiences of discrimination and pervasive Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV), have had a negative impact on their overall survival, and that these experiences were inherently gendered and influenced by intersecting structural factors, such as refugee status and poverty. The participants strategies and coping mechanisms, while facilitating daily survival, did not generate positive well-being, at least as perceived by the participants themselves. While participants had access to and actively utilised their social networks in Delhi, these networks were not strong enough to insulate them from the risks experienced nor help them to achieve self-reliance. |
