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The magnitude of gender based violence is difficult to determine even in
normal situations, and all the more difficult in disaster situations where
barriers to reporting – fear of retribution, powerlessness, lack of support,
breakdown of public services, and the dispersion of families and communities
– are greater.
While more research is needed,
available evidence[i]
suggests that the stress and disruption of natural disasters may lead to a
rise in gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence. In general, health workers and other field
staff are advised to assume that sexual violence may be a problem unless they
have conclusive proof to the contrary.
Relief agencies should plan
accordingly to prevent gender based violence and to plan an appropriate
response when sexual violence occurs.
The choice of plan site and administration of the camp should be done
to minimize risks to women, and assistance should be distributed to reduce
potential risks to women. Basic prevention includes ensuring that
women and girls have adequate privacy in shelters, women and girls are
adequately protected against abuse, violence, exploitation and thefts, and
women that are traditionally stigmatized against on account of their
ethnicity, religious preference or employment are not discriminated against
or refused shelter and protection in camps.
Sexual violence can result in
sexual trauma, undesired pregnancy, mental health disorders, sexually
transmitted infection and HIV transmission, and stigma among other social
consequences, especially for unmarried women.
Health staff should be trained to identify women who have suffered
sexual violence, and should be able to direct victims to health services for
medical treatment, counseling and protection services. Suspected and confirmed cases of
gender-based violence should be recorded and integrated into an emergency
health information system.
For more information please see the following sites:
GUIDELINES
- Prevention and Response to
Gender Based Violence In Displaced Settings
A summary of
a UNHCR field manual, prepared by the Reproductive Health Research
Consortium, to prevent and respond to gender based violence.
- Clinical Management of Rape Survivors
A guide to the development of protocols for use in refugee and internally displaced person situations (WHO Geneva)
- Clinical
Guidance on the Use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills
WHO
technical guidance on use and efficacy of emergency contraceptive pills.
- Sexual
violence in conflict settings and the risk of HIV [PDF 166KB]
WHO Fact
Sheet on how sexual violence in conflict settings increases the risk of HIV
transmission.
- Violence
against women and HIV/AIDS Information Sheet [PDF 302KB]
WHO Fact
Sheet on violence against women and its’ links to transmission of HIV.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Improving
women's health in emergency settings - WHO's commitment [PDF 40KB]
A
WHO Progress Report of a WHO initiative to improve the health of women
displaced and affected by crisis and war in three conflict areas in Africa (See above).
- The Sexual Violence
Research Initiative (WHO Geneva)
Site
provides information about the initiative and contains links to
documents and other resources on sexual violence and sexual violence research
including sections on health effects of sexual violence, sexual violence in
emergencies and trafficking of children.
- Information
on Sexual and Gender based violence [PDF 62 KB]
A
guidance instrument to identify and respond to sexual violence, including a
sample confidential reporting form for victims of gender based violence.
- Gender based violence resources on the Reproductive
Health Response in Conflict Consortium.
This provides a comprehensive list of guidelines, assessment tools and
training manuals from multiple agencies.
- Other up-to-date information on women
and disaster is provided on the Gender and Disaster Network
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