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Why is it important?
While migration studies rarely address divorce, and divorce research seldom accounts for refugee realities, this study bridges these two fields. It highlights how divorce can become both a site of struggle and a catalyst for emancipation. The findings reveal that, despite enduring patriarchal violence and stigma, many women perceive divorce as an act of resistance and a pathway to autonomy. This perspective challenges prevailing narratives that frame refugee women primarily as passive victims. This study looks at the lives of Syrian refugee women in Türkiye who chose to end their marriages and start over. Many of the women had faced violence, stigma, and legal obstacles rooted in patriarchal traditions, but they also showed strength and resilience in rebuilding their lives. The research explains that divorced Syrian women often face extra difficulties because they are both refugees and women—such as being unable to change their marital status on official documents, finding only low-paid informal jobs, and being judged by their communities. Yet, many also see divorce as an act of courage that allows them to protect themselves and their children. What did the study find? The research identifies four interlinked dimensions of women’s post-divorce experiences: 1. Cultural and legal barriers rooted in patriarchal and religious norms restrict women’s right to divorce. 2. Divorce as liberation—for many, separation represents an empowering act made possible by exposure to Turkish legal rights. 3. Intersectional struggles—divorced refugee women face compounding legal invisibility, economic precarity, and social stigma. 4. Bureaucratic problems—current social services prioritize short-term aid over empowerment, failing to address women’s lived realities. As the article argues that the exclusion of divorced women from family-based social assistance structures underscores the urgent need for rights-based, gender-sensitive policies that recognize diverse marital trajectories and prioritize women’s legal autonomy. The real empowerment requires more than temporary aid. It calls for stronger, rights-based social services that listen to women’s voices and help them build independent and dignified lives.
Perspectives
Writing this article was deeply meaningful to me, both as a researcher and as a social worker. I have long been concerned with how refugee women’s voices are often silenced in policy and practice, especially after divorce—a subject rarely discussed in migration research. Working with the women who shared their stories for this study reminded me how resilience and empowerment can emerge even in the most challenging circumstances. I hope this article encourages social workers, policymakers, and scholars to see divorced refugee women not only as recipients of aid, but as active agents of change. For me, this work reaffirms the importance of feminist social work in making social services more empathetic, inclusive, and rights-based.
Reyhan Atasü Topcuoglu
Hacettepe Universitesi
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Navigating Post-Divorce Challenges in Migration: Empowerment Strategies of Syrian Refugee Women in Türkiye, Affilia, August 2025, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/08861099251369851.
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