The experience of Congolese women refugees in South Africa: A Church response

Abstract

The lives of women refugees are often challenging wherever they find asylum, and Congolese women refugees living in South Africa are no different. Many left their home country during the six-year war (1996-2002) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the migration continues because of political and economic insecurity, among other reasons. Refugees are motivated by a desperate search for a more secure life. In this paper the focus is primarily on the challenges faced by female Congolese refugees in South Africa, especially in Pietermaritzburg, and how they manage to live and overcome the plight of displaced people. The Church has an important role to play in the lives of these refugees.

Keywords

• Sexual abuse
• self- reliance
• discrimination
• Self- actualization