Women on the move deserve more than just survival

A newly published policy brief, Making aid work: Addressing the needs of women and girls on the move, co-authored by researchers including Dr Esther Sharma from King’s College London, seeks to highlight and address these challenges. 

In this interview, Esther shares her journey into this field, the stories of the women she has met, and the critical changes needed to improve humanitarian responses for displaced women.

The stories of women

I understand that this work is deeply personal to you, can you tell us about your journey into this field?

I worked as a midwife in London for many years and met women who had fled conflict or persecution – women from Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Iraq, among others.  

I became acutely aware of the challenges that refugee and asylum-seeking women face during pregnancy and early motherhood.  

These experiences led me to volunteer work in Afghanistan – a country that has faced decades of instability – and later to my doctoral research on the perinatal experiences of Afghan women ‘on the move’ through Serbia. 

I met incredible women making the long, arduous, and state-unauthorised overland journeys from Afghanistan to find sanctuary in Western EU countries.

It must have been eye-opening speaking to these women, was there a particular story that stayed with you?

Each woman I spoke with had a unique and equally memorable story – it’s impossible to single one out. But what was really striking was their determination and hope to find a place of safety for themselves and their families. 

Yet, in seeking refuge they faced violence and harm that no one should endure.  

With essentially no legal routes from Serbia to the EU and few opportunities to remain in Serbia, many women were forced to turn to smugglers to facilitate their crossing. 

Several women confided in me that they were unsure whether their baby would remain alive after being medicated in this way – but they felt they had no choice. 

It is stories like these that make clear how urgently we need to address the injustices faced by women on the move. 

Evolving challenges for displaced women

Given today’s global landscape, are the challenges facing women evolving?

Yes, one of the biggest challenges is the enormous uncertainty facing forcibly displaced women, which in turn adversely affects their mental health. And with the global shift towards anti-immigrant policies, safe and legal routes to refuge are increasingly scarce. 

The other factors we highlight in the policy brief – gender-based violence, inadequate healthcare, sub-standard shelter, and limited education and livelihood opportunities – also have a detrimental impact on mental health.

Let’s talk a little about those critical factors. What are some of the key areas where action is urgently needed?

It’s important to remember each woman’s needs are different, shaped by intersecting characteristics such as age, culture, religion, and so on. However, there are several urgent areas where action is needed.

For example, many women don’t have access to the basics like menstrual products, or clean water for maintaining hygiene. Additionally, those giving birth on the move often do so in unsafe conditions, without adequate maternity care.

Women are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, including sexual violence. But the risk of violence doesn’t stop once they leave their country – women are made vulnerable at every stage of their journey. These women need access to safe spaces and psychological support while on the way.

In a world that’s becoming more hostile to displaced people, humanitarian responses must centre the needs of women.

Your research highlights many intersecting challenges. What led you and your co-authors to develop this policy brief?

All of the co-authors (including myself) have worked on studies among women on the move. We came together to create this policy brief because we wanted to contribute to those working 'on the ground', as well as to academic knowledge.

We recognised the need for a short, evidence-based go-to guide to make policy recommendations that address the most significant needs of women on the move.

The policy brief aims to inform humanitarian actors, policymakers and development practitioners about the critical needs of displaced women.

The changes that are needed

If you could change one thing about how aid is structured for displaced women, what would it be?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Aid must be inclusive, intersectional and culturally sensitive to ensure that no woman is left behind.

One of the key issues is funding. Many NGOs operate on short-term funding cycles, which creates instability for those planning and delivering services. Forced migration is not going away in the foreseeable future, and we need long-term funding to meet the ongoing needs of displaced women.

Another key recommendation is the need for safe and legal migration pathways. Ultimately, forcibly displaced women want to live in safety, with secure futures for themselves and their families. Without legal routes, women will continue to be forced into dangerous situations.

There may be people reading this that want to help, where should they start?

There are lots of ways to make a difference! Whether that’s volunteering with charities in your local area that support refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, hosting people seeking sanctuary, or writing to your local MP to raise the importance of treating people in need of sanctuary with compassion and dignity.

There are also some amazing organisations you could get involved with, like the Refugee Council, and City of Sanctuary UK.

And look out for World Refugee Day on 20 June 2025 – there will be plenty of events and activities that you can support.