Anthropology

     The overall aim of this chapter is to explore to how religious beliefs and the faith community affects forced migrants.

    This chapter will also argues that by expanding gender mainstreaming framework by working with religious actors and faith-based organization can potentially offer new approach and a new model for change in institution advocating for a humanitarian response.

To conclude, this chapter will offer and introduce a way of transformation framework where it will discuss ways through which religious actors and faith based communities possibly contribute to mainstream gender into humanitarian response.

Religion and Forced Migration
The role of religion on forced migrants is another important consideration to understand the gendered nature of refugee community. Gozdziak and Shandy (2002) states the relationship between religious persecution and refugee is central to definition of a refugee, has been long considered of importance as a root cause of fight, and should be of equal importance in protection of refugees. Further, they added that when religion is considered in studies of refugees, it most often receives attention for its role in conflict setting and the politicization of religious identity  (Gzdzi0k  h0ndy, 2002, p. 130). The study about the spirituality of people in forced migration is another theme becoming accepted to include the role of religion to support people to cope with trauma.  Keller documented the experience of Cambodian refugees particularly a story of a middle-aged woman and her young daughter, who both survived Pol Pots killing fields are living new lives in America.  (Keller 1975 82) The author interpreted Cambodians holocaust experiences within the context of Theravada Buddhism.  The significance of spiritual viewpoints in managing with conversion broadens further than the migrant site to amalgamation into a realm of settlement.  

Several studies showed how forced migrants incorporate religion on their dayto-day lives. Experiences of forced migrants in both men and women are not similar as specified in some studies. As an example, Weinberg (1992) explored the different between the gender role in a Russian labor camp and she found that while men spent time talking and thinking about escape, solved chess problems and politics, women spent time observing religious rituals.

  In some situations women are often denied both the knowledge and the practical skills required to initiate rituals. In fact most human religions, from tribal to dominant religions, have treated womens body, in its gender-specific sexual functions, as impure and polluted and this to be distanced from sacred and rites domination by males (Radford  Ruether, 1990, p.7) In many dominations, women are officially barred from ordination and men run the spiritual and administrative affairs of the congregations.  There is a body of research indicating that organized religions discriminate against women, both theologically (Carr, 1982 157) and institutionally, especially in opportunities for formal leadership.  However, Ruth Krulfelds study shows that religion which tends to construct traditional gender role can be changed through the experience of forced displacement. Her case study demonstrated that Laotian women can create important new roles in refugee communities due to displacement experiences where nuns was able to negotiate new religious role and overcome conservative practices and develop and reformulate new gender roles (Camino  Krulfeld 200386). These areas are commonly thought of as repositories for the traditional rules and values of the society (Camino  Krulfeld 200372).

Gender-based discrimination can also be observed in the sphere of religion. In some customs and tradition, refugee women are expected to fulfill conventional gender roles that can be causes of powerlessness and pain.    Hajdukowski-ahmed, Khanlou  Moussa (2009) pointed out that role religion can be seen in a positive light as a source of resiliency and facilitate integration, however it can also play a contradictory role in the lives of women in refugee camps.  Religions from Hinduism to Orthodox offer a sense of comfort and an explanation for suffering for the afflicted yet can also restricts both genders, women and men, to search for change (Hajdukowski-ahmed, Khanlou  Moussa, 2009 190). 

Religious and gender dimensions of identities play an important role on the lives of forced migrants. Based on bodies of studies showing coordinated beliefs distinguished towards gender biased discrimination of women forced migrants (Camino  Krulfeld 200386 Hajdukowski-ahmed, Khanlou  Moussa, 2009 190 Carr, 1982 Fiorenza, 1983 Himmelstein, 1986 Weaver 1986), religion can be then understood having gripping, opposing, and conflicting ways as it shapes beliefs and understanding of suffering to forced migrants in their day-to-day experiences.  At the same time, religion serves as a source of resiliency of refugees and other forced migrants largely because of its facilitation and hastens the integration process on their daily experiences. 

Mainstream gender provides an opportunity to address inequitable social structures of forced migrants made instrument by a bottom-up approach whereby the targeting of informal pressure can influence to change hearts and minds of forced migrants and provide a comprehensive and community-centered long-term equity towards a lasting gender equal societies.  Furthermore, religion can play a key role in mainstream gender based on what I emphasized in the last section.

Religion plays an important role in the forced migrants community. Many situations, religious actors and faith-based organization tends to be in unique position in the displaced community and also people in the ledership position.  The access to informal spheres and formal spheres is a key towards its achievement. These actors and organizations may faciliate change in values and perceptions of people in displaced community as well as people in the leadership position including governments and the United Nations organization. The shift of values that advocates gender equality among forced migrants can be accomplished in a bottom-up scenario if it is moved from the local to the institutional and policy levels.  In addition to this, these actors and organization also can be active player to lobby the stakeholders, and work towards gaining their support.

Thus, religion is essential to mainstream gender given that gender role is built through interpretation of religious traditions along with the support and commitment of religious actors, faith-based organization.