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According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 117 million displaced people worldwide. Many of these people are women and girls. In 2020, women and girls made up about 46% of refugees resettled in Canada.

Women and girls often face unique challenges as a result of their displacement. It is critical to understand the gender-specific challenges and issues they face. As displacement increases around the world, the stories of those seeking refuge must be heard and understood, not only to improve their lives but also to enrich our communities.

Our research focuses on the experiences of Ukrainian refugee women with host families in the Greater Toronto Area. We examine how thoughtful, inclusive host family programs can significantly improve women’s lives.

Canada has opened its doors to refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, but the path to settlement for these new arrivals presents complex social, cultural, economic, health and personal challenges.

Host families in Canada

Homestays are a model that differs from programs such as private sponsorships, where individuals, organizations and associations can support refugees by raising money to support them when they arrive in Canada. Homestays involve a refugee living in the same home with their host family. These homes are offered by families or individuals, many of whom are refugees or immigrants themselves.

Host family accommodation – often the first encounter with Canadian society for refugees – is not just about providing them with a roof over their heads. It is also about ensuring their safety, dignity and integration into a new place and society.

Although homestay programs aim to facilitate transition and improve refugees’ well-being, the complex dynamics of these interactions and their overall impact on both refugees and their host families have not been thoroughly studied.

Research specifically examining the dynamics of host family arrangements and their impact on the relationships between refugees and their hosts is quite scarce, but the available studies reveal a number of advantages and disadvantages.

However, research suggests that such arrangements can improve integration, social bonds and a sense of belonging. In addition, studies suggest that housing refugees in private homes can combat negative stereotypes and anti-immigrant sentiments.

Challenges for host families

Host families play a crucial role in the initial phase of integration in a new place. In host families, people often encounter new cultural, social or linguistic environments that pose significant challenges and promote their growth, adaptation and integration into a new community or environment.

However, the current host family model can be unpredictable and has significant room for improvement. A model that takes into account the particular weaknesses and strengths of refugee women is needed. Living in another person’s home can often come with pressure to be a good guest. This represents a conditional aspect of private hospitality where refugees must prove that they are worthy of being hosted.

In our ongoing study with 18 refugee women from Ukraine, we asked them to send some photographs showing their experiences in the host family. The study documented the personal stories of Ukrainian refugee women through photography. It provides these women with a powerful narrative medium to express their experiences and challenges in coping with the complexities of their settlement and new environment.

The women’s experiences reveal a range of impacts – from deep gratitude and mutual cultural enrichment to significant challenges related to privacy, autonomy and adaptation. Many expressed gratitude for the safety and support provided by their hosts, which often includes help in overcoming language barriers and cultural integration. These relationships often result in mutual cultural enrichment as both hosts and guests learn about each other’s customs and traditions.

Many women shared their experiences learning new languages ​​and customs, participating in Canadian traditions, and building lasting bonds with their hosts. These positive interactions highlight the potential of host families to help refugees make a smooth transition into Canadian society.

On the other hand, there are also some challenges, especially in terms of maintaining privacy and autonomy. Living in close quarters with hosts can sometimes lead to a feeling of dependence and a lack of personal space, making the settling-in process difficult. In addition, adjusting to new household norms and expectations can add stress to the already complex relocation experience.

Improving homestay accommodation

The women’s stories raised issues such as lack of privacy, limited autonomy, cultural misunderstandings and even exploitation, suggesting that the experience of being placed in host families can sometimes exacerbate the trauma that refugees have already endured.

What Canada needs is an inclusive and responsive homestay model, ongoing support, training for hosts, and a willingness to understand cross-cultural dynamics. There must be a structured, sensitive approach to organizing homestays, emphasizing the need for comprehensive training for hosts.

This training should cover cultural sensitivity, basic legal rights of refugees and effective communication strategies. This will ensure that both hosts and guests have realistic expectations and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

To build a support network for refugee women in host families that provides access to counseling, legal advice and emergency assistance, among other things, and can thus ensure their safety and well-being, the support of federal and state organizations as well as non-governmental organizations is needed.

Our research argues for a homestay model that better supports refugee women who face unique challenges and vulnerabilities upon arrival in a new country. A well-structured, compassionate homestay program could provide them with a solid foundation for building a new life in a new country.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.