Sudanese and South Sudanese refugee women’s sense of security in Kakuma refugee camp.

This thesis aims to find out how Sudanese and South Sudanese refugee women experience their security and safety in Kakuma refugee camp, which is situated in north- western part of Kenya. Sudan and South Sudan has had two civil wars since its independence from the British colonialism. The civil wars in Sudan and South Sudan have mainly been concerning the differences between northern and southern Sudan, with the northern part predominantly Muslim and the southern is predominantly Christian. The Sudanese and South Sudanese society, culture and traditions are based on a very strong patriarchal structure, with limited freedom and rights for women. This thesis therefore aims to find out whether these social structures exist in Kakuma refugee camp and what impact they have on the Sudanese and South Sudanese refugee women’s sense of security. The main research question in this thesis is: How do Sudanese and South Sudanese refugee women perceive their security and support within their community in Kakuma refugee camp? The theoretical framework is based on the customary and Islamic law applied in Sudan and South Sudan, as well as on the proscribed gender roles of the Sudanese and South Sudanese society. The data collection for this thesis was based on key interviews and Focus Group Discussions conducted in Kakuma refugee camp by the researcher from February 25th until the 1st of March. They were conducted with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency’s (SIDA) Minor Field Study (MFS) Scholarship, Refugee Consortium of Kenya (which were the contact organization on sight in Kenya and Kakuma refugee camp), as well as with the supervision of Lisbeth Larsson Lidén in Sweden. Three Focus Group Discussions and eleven key interviews were conducted with women originating from tribes in Darfur, Equatoria and Dinka in Sudan and South Sudan.