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Refugees and Internally Displaced Remain Vulnerable to Gender-Based Violence, Report Finds

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Internally displaced and refugee women and children are receiving inadequate protection against gender-based violence (GBV), according to a new report by the Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium. The report, If Not Now, When? Addressing Gender-based Violence in Refugee, Internally Displaced, and Post-Conflict Settings, A Global Overview, finds that although this violence is part of virtually all conflicts today, opportunities to protect the most vulnerable victims are being missed.

"Despite the fact that gender-based violence prevention and response is increasingly accepted as an important part of humanitarian assistance, there are significant gaps in the implementation of programs to address this issue," said Jeanne Ward, Gender-Based Violence Research Officer, Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium. "The protection of human rights is basic to humanitarian relief worldwide and the violation of rights that GBV represents is no exception and should be addressed."

The report, which profiles twelve countries ¾ three each in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America ¾ finds that a lack of political will to enforce codes of conduct and zero tolerance policies for international forces, as well as a considerable disparity in the implementation of national laws against GBV, contribute to the lack of protection of refugee women, adolescents, and children, both during war and once conflict has ended. Actions to address the needs of survivors of GBV are weak in every country profiled.

Gender-based violence can be reduced when efforts are coordinated across different sectors nationwide, including those dealing with health, social and legal services, and security. None of the countries profiled used this approach, the report found.

Although sexual violence in war can be a random act, it is most often systematic, for the purposes of destabilizing populations and destroying bonds within communities and families; advancing ethnic cleansing; expressing hatred for the enemy; or supplying combatants with sexual services. Other forms of gender-based violence that may increase during war or its aftermath include early or forced marriage, female infanticide, domestic violence, and trafficking in women.

The report presents model programs and practices as a basis from which to develop more comprehensive and effective GBV prevention and response activities amid humanitarian relief efforts. “The involvement of local communities ¾ particularly women’s groups ¾ has perhaps the greatest potential for combating GBV against refugees and the internally displaced,” Ward said. “As this report illustrates, repeatedly and across cultures, inspiration for change is based on local women’s unrelenting commitment to reducing the violence that has overwhelmed their communities and their lives.”

For more information or to arrange an interview with Jeanne Ward, please contact: Megan McKenna at 212. 551. 0959 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Melissa Winkler at 212. 551. 0972 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The full report, which was funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, can be downloaded at www.rhrc.org/resources/gbv. The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium was established in 1995 to promote reproductive health services for refugees worldwide. Consortium members represent a unique mix of advocacy, development, humanitarian relief, research, and training organizations. The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, as an expert resource and advocacy organization, serves as coordinator of the Consortium. Each member of the Consortium has capacity and experience in gender-based violence research, training, and programming. For more information on the Consortium, go to www.rhrc.org