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A NEW UNITED Nations (UN) report on the challenges faced by women and girls in humanitarian crises has documented the physical and sexual abuse they face.
Shelter from the Storm: A Transformative Agenda for Women and Girls in a Crisis-Prone World explores what governments and organisations can do to help women in terms of decreasing violence and increasing access to healthcare and education.
The report, due to be launched today, includes testimonies from women and girls who have endured sexual and physical violence.
The document notes that gender-based violence against women and girls “often thrives in humanitarian crises”.
In settings as diverse as Myanmar, Somalia and Syria, sexual violence is described as “widespread” and a “significant threat”.
Refugees and internally-displaced women and girls are particularly at risk, including in refugee camps, temporary shelters and evacuation centres.
The report identifies that women and girls with disabilities are “a particularly at risk group for sexual violence because of their limited mobility and ability to communicate, and their social exclusion and greater likelihood of poverty”.
Prostitution
The UN notes that the risk of human trafficking and transactional sex increases in crisis-affected environments and “in particular displacement settings where livelihood opportunities are particularly limited”.
A resident of a camp in Croix-de-Bouquets, Haiti said:
People will try to survive by the way they can. Women have relationships with men so they can feed their children. That happens a lot … It’s not good to make prostitution (sic), but what can you do? You have to eat.
The report states: “Perpetrators may be partners, relatives, state and non-state armed forces, camp officials, teachers and, in some instances, even peacekeepers and aid workers. And they may be male or female.”
‘We could not protect her, she had to get married’
In 2014, Save the Children noted that people under the age of 18 often make up the majority of victims of sexual violence in conflict-affected countries.
In the UN report, a Syrian mother in Lebanon spoke of how she married off her daughter at 16 as a form of protection.
We were too worried for her. They were attacking women. We could not protect her, so we had to marry her … She did not want to get married, she wanted to study.
The report notes that gender-based violence also increases following humanitarian disasters in developed countries:
Shelter from the Storm will be launched in Dublin this afternoon by junior minister Seán Sherlock (who is responsible for overseas development assistance) and Jacqueline Mahon, Senior Policy Advisor at the United Nations Population Fund, in an event organised by the Irish Family Planning Association.
More information on the report can be found here.
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Women in Islam are seen as weak, sinful and subjects
According to the quran they are wholly inferior to muslim men
With the islamization of Europe, expect more of this sadly : /
In Islamic countries, women are called “awra” …. basically “walking vagina”
Most of the government’s of European countries seem to think the islamic influx into Europe is notting to worrie about. From what i see and read a lot of ordinary Europeans seem to be concerned and worried about it…….. whos got whos best interests! Is there any thing really to worrie about… if what you say is true and islam teaches women are inferior to men then yes we will have a problem in the future.
The report includes examples from Myanmar, Haiti and Nepal. Buddhist, Christian and Hindu majority countries. Did you miss that with your Islamophobe blinkers on?
Does buddhist, Christian and hindu also teach that women are inferior to men if so they are just as backward as islam? Thats just a question im not sure do they?
The burqua isn’t usually considered a fashion accessory…..
John..our government tell us the Islamic influx is a rich source of vibrancy (whatever that means),enrichment,diversity and new exciting cultures….maybe they will only be predatory toward their own women.
Has anyone here actually been in a muslim country? The ability to generalise up to 60 countries in one go is laughable. Saudi muslims are not the same as Iranian muslims are not the same as Indonesian muslims are not the same as Malaysian muslims. I could go on….
Hmm Carmella Mcgilvery aka Troll
why are you posting racist comments here and using a picture of a Russian teenage female (who you do not know) on your FB page
@ Dingle Holiday
There’s noting racist about her post above.
and Prince Frank..
and posing as a Russian teenage girl ?
and Mr Garrett the topic is actually about
“A new report identifies that women and girls with disabilities are “a particularly at risk group for sexual violence” during humanitarian crises. “
I’m not here to discuss a Russian girl or whatever. You accuse that person of posting racist comments. Could you quote the racist comment on the thread?
Sorry if somebody is using a picture of a teenage Russian girl as their Profile FB picture / pretending to be female) clearly anything they post here is dubious
Do you not agree ?
“You accuse that person of posting racist comments. Could you quote the racist comment on the thread?” Not going to respond … Yawn
and again …
the topic is actually about
“A new report identifies that women and girls with disabilities are “a particularly at risk group for sexual violence” during humanitarian crises. “
In Hinduism they still bury their young daughters in some parts of India.
A) Muslim is not a race
B) what ?
I’m trying to remember 1 famous,high achieving Muslim woman and the only name that comes to me is Aayan hirsi Ali……far too early for such an exercise. I’m such I could have googled it.
Not such…sure…
@joachin. Benazir Bhutto?
Good one Anne…how is she doing these days? I knew there had to be loads!
Joachin there have been a number of female heads of state in Muslim majority countries. The fact you can only pick out a professional critic of Islam only says something about the focus of your reading
Women in Iran were big supporters of the overthrow of the Shah and western values They wanted to be covered up and think western women are totally immodest
KalEll, what do you expect from a guy who is using the name of an SS-officer for his Facebook profile.
A SS Officer ??
Good God
Fatou Bensouda Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Court, Nabila Freidji CEO, Cash One (Morocco),
Raha Moharrak First Saudi and youngest Arab to climb Mount Everest and good few more to name.
Here’s a list of the top 100 Arab businesswomen, political leaders, Nobel prize winners, scientists and intellectuals.
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/100-most-powerful-arab-women-2012-448295.html
have your say