{"id":34657,"date":"2017-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ready-for-feedback3.com\/shape-history\/fmr\/some\/"},"modified":"2024-08-27T14:37:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T19:37:46","slug":"some","status":"publish","type":"fmr_content","link":"https:\/\/www.fmreview.org\/fr\/some\/","title":{"rendered":"GBV in post-election Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"

Detailing the findings of the rapid assessment of gender-based violence (GBV) suffered in camps,[1]<\/a> the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) said the women had repeatedly expressed fears of sexual violence because of makeshift sleeping arrangements, where men and women were forced to sleep under one tent or out in the open. They also voiced concerns about lack of regulations in the camps, allowing men from the outside to enter unchecked by camp officials. In Nairobi in particular, women reported fears about sexual victimisation linked to camp design and services, including lighting, water\/sanitation facilities, and availability of firewood.<\/p>\n

The assessment was conducted in North Rift Valley, South Rift Valley, the Coastal Region, Nairobi and Central Province. It examined the nature and scope of sexual violence during flight, as well as within the IDP camps and alternative settlements. The assessment also evaluated the capacity of both community- and camp-based programmes to prevent and respond to cases of sexual violence.<\/p>\n

\tThe agencies said the exact number of cases of sexual assault in IDP camps was difficult to ascertain, not only because the camps lacked standardised reporting mechanisms, but also because of challenges associated with acknowledging victimisation. These include the availability of services, the level of awareness about the value of medical assistance, the degree of trust in police and other security-related issues, as well as the cultural acceptability of disclosing rape.<\/p>\n

\tThe preliminary findings of this assessment confirm initial reports from Nairobi-based hospitals that sexual violence has increased during the post-election crisis that began on 30 December. Evidence suggests that perpetrators are exploiting the conflict by committing sexual violence with impunity, and efforts to protect or respond to the needs of women and girls are remarkably insufficient. The report notes that sexual violence not only occurred as a by-product of the collapse in social order during the post-election period but was also being used as a tool to terrorise individuals and families and precipitate their expulsion from the communities in which they live.<\/p>\n

The agencies made several recommendations aimed at protecting young girls and women from GBV. Camp-based and community-based measures would help deliver minimum interventions to prevent and respond to sexual violence during emergency response. They would also shift humanitarian interventions to national government and non-government structures to facilitate the move from humanitarian to development actions as IDPs return home in some areas and to transitional settlements in others.<\/p>\n

\tThe report’s recommendations include:<\/p>\n