Few women are involved in combat, but many become the victims of political upheavals. The imbroglio of over 130,000 Bhutanese refugees of Nepali origin (Lhotshampa), is a case to point. As the government of Bhutan began to forcibly evict so-called ‘illegal immigrants’ in the late 1980s, Lhotshampa women, as well as children, were reportedly beaten, raped, or often killed by the Bhutanese security forces. A number of articles and books have appeared concerning the Lhotshampa refugees crisis as a whole. However, a study specifically devoted to the plight of the refugee women and children is yet to be conducted. In the wake of several rape and child abuse cases in the refugees camps in Nepal, this article looks at the vulnerabilities experienced by Lhotshampa women and children, particularly since the early 1990s.
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