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Dhaka Day by Day

Adventures of a Refugee Worker

By Aasha Mehreen Amin
She has travelled to the remotest parts of South Asia, visiting refugee camps and deten tton centres she has been threatened with knicves and guns and has faced the challenge of being a woman professional with a stiff up per lip All this for the sole purpose of helping people who have been uprooted from their homes — for the refugees Where she has not been able to assist them directly, she has done so indirectly by involving herself tn policy and legal issues that determine their immediate fate. An attractive woman tn her mid 30s. Irene Khan is a Bangladeshi who works for UNHCR (United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees) In a recent interview, she talked of her fascinating experiences working for an or osnisaUon. whose primary goal is to find a way for refugees to stop being refugees
Her ending up in UNHCR she sakl. was pure coincidence. It sms during her post graduate studies in law at Harvard University that she heard of UNHCR's interest tn employing comlttment to UNHCR has remained urwaver-ing even after 12 years.
One of the most challenging jobs Irene had. was working in. Islamabad with the Afghan and Iranian refugees In 1979. Challenging not only because of the work but for the fact that she was a young, single Bangladeshi woman, in a totally male dominated society. Said Irene 1 was really suprised at how different women in Pakistan were treated. One would hardly ever see a woman in a government office. It was unthinkable for a woman to have dinner at a restuarant alone or even with other women I I think the I*akistanis. especially the men found It difficult to react to a woman professional and that too a Bangladeshi, they would either think I was available and be loo familiar or be totally stiff and ill at ease '. The segregation of men ^and women at official parties was also very awkward. We were always dumped with the wives yrtth whom we liad very little in common. while the men who were from the same professional bachgrounds were tn another room.
Whatever the drawbacks of her social Me. professionally Irene found the work very rewarding. Her job included dealing with legislation affecting the refugees, going Into the Afghan and Iranian refugee camps to find out how the women were doing and whether the relief goods had reached- them. Ironically tn this regard l»cr 'handicap' of being an Eastern woman actually gave her an advantage over her male colleagues. "1 could go into the tents and talk directly to the women, which tlwy could not. Also. I was used to the culture and did not get flabbergasted for example, when men did not shake hands with me as iny European fe male calleagues did."
The element of risk. Irene added, was al ways there, since the psychological problems associated with being refugees made them very argry and frustrated leading to many Incidents of violence. Irene describes an Incident tn London, where she was working to help Iranian refugees. A young Iranian boy who had a drug problem, had came to Irene's office and demanded to meet her. when her secretary Informed him that Irene was at a meeting. he slit his head with a blade and walked right Into the meeting. He was of course pacified and then pul into a drug rehabilitation cUnlc.
Irene s latest job Is in Geneva, where she works as the executine assistant to the High Comlssloner of the agency. Among other things. Irene is mainly concerned with refugee policy question. She also advises the High Comlssloner. writes her speeches, briefs her before meetings and often goes on missions with her. According to Irene her new assignment was exciting, since it gave her a wider global experience rather than being confined to one particular part of the world. She mentioned the time when in 1989 she was part of a project which completely changed the UN policy on the Vietnamese boat people and changed whole systems in five different countries — Malaysia. Phlllipines. Hongkong, Thailand and Indonesia.
Talking about UNHCR's policy on employing women. Irene said that there were more women In lower grades than higher grades, partly because of the recruitment policy and partly because of Inborn prejudice. Irene, therefore has to work harder and constantly prove her worth. While this pays off professionally. it imposes heavy tolls on her personal life. With a career as demanding as hers. Irene has very little time for her German husband and four year old daughter Suriya.
But personal sacrifices are a given In this Une of work, something Irene has learnt to ac-, ccpt over the years.