Nancy Bayoumi Wins 2023–2024 SSA Master Thesis Award

We are proud to announce that Nancy Bayoumi, under the supervision of Rudolf Agricola School Fellow Dr. Nadine Voelkner, has won the 2023–2024 SSA Master Thesis Award for her exceptional thesis:

“I Am Stuck”: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Sudanese Migrant and Refugee Women Struggling to Resettle in Egypt After the Armed Conflict on April 15, 2023

n her powerful and timely study, Nancy explores the concept of “stuckedness”—a state in which individuals experience a lack of progress and opportunity despite physical relocation. Using autoethnography, she draws attention to the personal and systemic challenges Sudanese migrant and refugee women face while attempting to resettle in Egypt after fleeing the 2023 armed conflict in Sudan.

The SSA thesis selection committee praised her work as:

“A compelling and timely contribution to the understanding of forced migration by centering the experiences of Sudanese women in Egypt—an often-overlooked group in both academic and policy discourse. The thesis succeeds in weaving a relevant and insightful narrative, examining both personal and structural (political, social, medical, and educational) barriers. Its global relevance and strong empirical foundation make it a valuable contribution to both scholarly research and broader discussions on displacement, belonging, and resilience in Sub-Saharan contexts.”

If you are interested in Nancy’s research, we warmly invite you to attend her presentation at the RAS-SSA SDG event on June 30. For more information about the event, please visit the event page here.

Abstract

Forced migrations have been a growing issue on the global stage. In the context of Africa, Sudan has faced armed conflicts that have forced many women to leave their homeland in search of security and stability. Egypt, as a neighboring country, has received a considerable number of these women refugees and migrants. However, the resettlement process for these women has not been straightforward, facing multiple barriers and challenges that have created a complex migration experience.

The resettlement experience of Sudanese migrant and refugee women in Egypt, particularly in the aftermath of the 2023 armed conflict, is a complex and multi-faceted issue. The concept of 'stuckedness' has emerged as a critical issue in understanding the profound challenges these women face in navigating their new lives in a foreign country. This study seeks to explore the intricate dynamics of resettlement and 'stuckedness' by examining both personal and systemic factors affecting Sudanese migrant and refugee women.

Targeting women as a demographic subject allows this research to delve deeply into the unique challenges they face post-conflict migration, often exacerbated by societal expectations and restrictive migration policies. This research does not specifically focus on gender aspects, but rather on the migration challenges they face in resettling in Egypt and the concept of 'stuckedness'.

The study applies human rights and psychology perspectives, using autoethnography as the main methodology to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges Sudanese women face after post-conflict migration to Egypt. The research highlights how these challenges reflect both individual struggles and broader systemic issues.