Navigating Uncertainty: Exploring the links between Precarious Living Conditions and Health outcomes of Transit Refugee Women in Indonesia

With humanitarian crises intensifying globally, Indonesia—situated within Southeast Asia—has increasingly become a critical transit hub along major migratory routes for refugees and asylum seekers. Among those in transit, women face distinct vulnerabilities shaped by gendered risks, limited access to legal protection, and barriers to essential services, making their living conditions and health outcomes particularly precarious. Using a participatory phenomenological approach, this study explored the lived experiences of refugee women in transit in Indonesia, focusing on how their precarious housing and living conditions shaped their health outcomes. The research consisted of four focus group discussions and eight in-depth interviews, involving women from Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, and Eritrea. The study was conducted in collaboration with a community organisation led by and for refugee women in transit in Indonesia. Findings revealed that women’s precarious living conditions and health outcomes were closely tied to the access and availability of support services, including having registered humanitarian cards that provided varying levels of healthcare, food assistance, cash aid, and housing support. However, not all participants were registered, and eligibility criteria for registration to receive humanitarian support differed, resulting in unequal affordability and access to essential healthcare—particularly sexual and reproductive health services such as pregnancy care, menstrual health, family planning and contraceptives, mental health support, and management of chronic diseases like tumours and diabetes. These disparities often led to delayed or foregone medical check-ups, including tumour screenings, trauma counselling, and antenatal care. Some women experienced pregnancy complications, miscarriages, or postpartum health issues, with heightened risks for those who had undergone female genital mutilation before their transit journey. Housing conditions—whether supported by humanitarian assistance, reliant on private rental, or marked by homelessness—further shaped their health outcomes. Overcrowded living arrangements increased disease transmission, while inadequate water and sanitation, exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, and persistent mental distress, compounded their vulnerabilities. The study informs the need for greater efforts to implement gender-responsive policies and health programs that ensure refugee women’s safety and equitable and comprehensive access to health and housing support, particularly in precarious transit conditions.