Gender, violence, and displacement in Africa: Intersectional vulnerabilities and survival strategies in contexts of extended crisis

Abstract

Violence and displacement remain persistent challenges across Africa, which hosts nearly half of the world’s internally displaced persons. Although conflict, revolt and political instability are widely recognised as key drivers of displacement, the gendered dimensions of these crises remain inadequately theorised. Women and girls often experience violence not only as a trigger for displacement but as an enduring condition shaping their mobility, livelihoods and security within displacement settings. This paper examines how gender mediates experiences of violence before, during, and after displacement. It further explores how displaced women navigate structural
vulnerabilities while constructing survival strategies in contexts of prolonged crisis. The paper adopts a qualitative interpretive design based on a desk-based analysis of secondary literature, policy frameworks and selected African case examples. Drawing on scholarly studies, humanitarian reports and documented experiences from displacement-affected communities, the paper synthesises evidence from internally displaced persons’ camps, informal settlements and host communities in conflict-prone regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The analysis is informed by intersectionality theory and the concept of structural violence to examine how gender intersects with age, class, and displacement status to produce layered vulnerabilities. The analysis suggests that gender-based violence often precedes and intensifies during displacement, reinforcing structural inequalities that shape women’s experiences in crisis contexts. Furthermore, it highlights how displaced women navigate these constraints through informal economic networks, collective organising, and community-based support systems. The paper advances an intersectional framework for analysing gendered displacement and argues for gender-responsive policies addressing structural inequalities, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 5- (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).