The plight of IDP women: a gender and intersectional analysis of the experiences of Internally Displaced Women in IDP Camps Borno Nigeria

This paper is a gender and intersectional analysis of the experiences of Internally Displaced Women (IDW) in IDP camps, Borno, Nigeria. The research investigates how gendered prac-tices intersect with specific power relations to exacerbate the plight of IDW in IDP camps in Borno Nigeria. Gender, age, social status, and position in the family are some of the major factors that influence the experience of discrimination by IDW. This study argues that each of these major power relations or statuses influence the gendered practices in IDP camps and the experiences of IDW. However, none of these, in isolation can adequately explain the reason IDW positioned in these power statuses experience multiple layers of discrimination. These power statuses intersect to either mutually strengthen or weaken each other. The gendered practices of institutions (family and state) and the unique experience of an IDW depends on the way she is positioned on these social categories. IDW who are in better position experi-ence discrimination in a way different from those in lowly positions. This indicates that the experience of discrimination depends on specific contexts, and the power relations imbued in such gendered activities of the family and state are vital for understanding the experiences of IDW in IDP camps. This paper concludes by suggesting areas for further research and certain research methods that would present the view of IDW more explicitly.