The pressures of refugee life, particularly in camps, often result in violence against women. Refugee camps are usually organised in ways that discriminate against women. The distribution of food and water is almost always in the hands of men. Women who are the heads of families find themselves last in line or disregarded altogether. All too often the men in power take advantage of them sometimes forcing women into sexual bondage.
Some camps are dangerous locations, near to war zones or disputed borders.
Armed attacks on the camps often involve the rape and abuse of women and children. A small minority of women refugees seek asylum in industrialised countries. In many countries, immigration officials oppose asylum for women who fear reprisals at home because they have transgressed strict moral codes. They try to reject women who have fled domestic violence and have been offered no protection by their own government. They turn away women who are in danger because of their family connections, or who have fled the threat of female genital mutilation.