Refugees often face numerous challenges and uncertainty about the future on their journey. Upon arrival in a new environment, they encounter additional obstacles such as language barriers, cultural differences, limited access to employment opportunities, and social exclusion. All these circumstances can significantly impact their ability to overcome challenges and adapt to their new surroundings. Despite these difficulties, many refugees develop a high level of resilience, which enables them to successfully face challenges and gradually integrate into the new society. The resilience they demonstrate is not merely an innate ability but rather the result of various strengthening factors that support them along the way. This thesis examines resilience among refugees and analyzes the factors that either enhance or hinder it. A qualitative method of semi-structured interviews was conducted with three women from Bosnia and Herzegovina who had a refugee experience. The results of the analysis showed that factors such as strong family support, involvement in ethnic and school communities, access to education and employment, religious and spiritual practices, and the preservation of cultural identity significantly contributed to the resilience of the refugee women. Positive relationships with the local population were also recognized as key to strengthening their resilience. On the other hand, social isolation, discrimination, bureaucratic obstacles, language barriers, and the displacement of family members were identified as hindrances to the development of refugee women’s resilience. The findings highlight the need to recognize and promote the strengthening factors of resilience that can facilitate refugee integration and improve their quality of life.
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