Refugee Men as Perpetrators, allies or Troublemakers? Emerging Discourses on Men and Masculinities in Humanitarian Aid.

Author:

Olivius, E.

Editor:

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Date:

2016

Region:

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Theme:

Men, Masculinities and Disaster

Language:

English

Publisher:

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Full Harvard Reference:

Olivius, E. (2016), Refugee Men as Perpetrators, allies or Troublemakers? Emerging Discourses on Men and Masculinities in Humanitarian Aid, Women’s Studies International Forum, Vol. 56: 56-65.

This article examines emerging discourses on men, masculinities, and gender equality in the field of humanitarian aid to refugees. Through an analysis of key policy texts and interviews with humanitarian aid workers, the author draws attention to three key representations of refugee men in humanitarian policy and practise: refugee men as perpetrators of violence and discrimination, refugee men as powerful gatekeepers and potential allies, and refugee men as emasculated troublemakers. The author argues that this way of portraying refugee men is problematic as it depicts them as pathologized ‘primitives’, while also obscuring gender relations and eliding the need to empower women refugee.