Exploring resource scarcity and contextual influences on wellbeing among young refugees in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Uganda: findings from a qualitative study.
Outcomes: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, Gender‑Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Inequitable gender norms—reinforced by dowry practices, expectations of sexual availability, and gendered labor roles—exacerbate the vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women in humanitarian settings. These norms interact with resource scarcity to intensify exposure to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), particularly in contexts of poverty, idleness, and environmental degradation. The study highlights the urgent need for gender-transformative approaches that challenge traditional norms and promote equity, especially in displaced communities.
Objectives To explore the influence of contextual factors—including material, symbolic, and relational conditions—on the wellbeing and SGBV risk among refugee adolescents and youth aged 16–24 in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Uganda.
Methods This qualitative study involved six focus group discussions (three with women, three with men) and ten in-depth interviews with refugee youth aged 16–24. Participants were recruited through peer research assistants in Bidi Bidi Zone 3. Data were collected in early 2020, transcribed, translated, and analyzed thematically using a social contextual framework emphasizing material, symbolic, and relational dimensions.
Intervention Details Not applicable. This is a qualitative research study, not an intervention.
Results Material scarcity—especially food, water, and firewood—combined with poverty and unemployment to increase psychological stress and SGBV risk. Gender norms amplified these risks by positioning girls and women as responsible for collecting resources, which exposed them to violence in remote areas. Transactional sex and early marriage emerged as survival strategies driven by economic need and social expectations. Participants described how community norms, such as the justification of marital rape following dowry payments, limited girls’ and women’s autonomy. The COVID-19 pandemic further strained relational contexts, heightening fear, social isolation, and community disruption.
Conclusions The intersection of resource scarcity and entrenched gender norms severely compromises the wellbeing of refugee adolescents and youth, especially girls. Gender-transformative strategies that address social norms, resource access, and structural inequities are essential to reduce SGBV and promote health equity. Interventions must be contextually grounded and address both immediate needs and long-term drivers of vulnerability.
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