Responsibility of The State of Mizoram in Protecting Burmese Refugee Women

This article examines the responsibility of the State of Mizoram in protecting Burmese refugee women amid the ongoing displacement from Myanmar and the resulting gendered vulnerabilities experienced in borderland settings. The problem addressed is the gap between humanitarian needs and the state’s legal, administrative, and institutional capacity to provide effective protection for refugee women, particularly against insecurity, exploitation, inadequate access to health services, and barriers to documentation and livelihood. The purpose of this study is to assess the extent of Mizoram’s responsibility under domestic governance obligations, constitutional values, and humanitarian principles, and to identify the practical measures required for gender-sensitive refugee protection. This study adopts a qualitative doctrinal and policy analysis method, drawing on legal materials, government responses, secondary literature, and reports on refugee conditions in Mizoram and the India-Myanmar border region. It also uses a comparative lens to situate Mizoram’s response within the broader refugee protection practices. The findings indicate that, although Mizoram has demonstrated significant local solidarity through community support and informal humanitarian arrangements, protection remains fragmented and is heavily dependent on non-state actors and civil society. Burmese refugee women continue to face heightened risks linked to displacement, limited legal recognition, precarious shelters, and limited access to gender-responsive services. The article concludes that Mizoram bears a substantial protective responsibility that goes beyond emergency relief and includes coordinated institutional safeguards, women-centered assistance, referral mechanisms for violence, access to healthcare, and documentation-sensitive policy responses. Its significance lies in showing that refugee protection at the state level is not only a humanitarian duty but also a governance issue central to the dignity, security, and access to justice for displaced women.