Women, Children and Family Issues Focus on Women

Sexual violence against refugee women WOMEN during pre, flight and post flight stages may be at RISK for numerous reasons. 1:3 women world-wide has been beaten, coersed into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime (CDC, Atlanta). Gender-based violence is not universally defined. Some define it as rape, others include trafficking, domestic violence, FGC/M, early marriage, and other forms of physical and emotional abuse. Rape as a weapon of war and sexual torture of both men and woman occurs, but it occurs more frequently to women.

Sexual violence against refugee women Social stigma/ underreporting makes collection of accurate data difficult. In some cases, the survivor is punished such as with “Honor Killings” when a family may retaliate against a survivor. The judicial system may also “blame the victim”. Thus, it is understandable that there may be few incentives for reporting. There may be health (mental health and general medical) consequences. Psychological consequences may be especially severe for women with no support systems.

Social support vs clinic-based psychological intervention Some research indicates that social support may be far more effective in preventing traumatic reactions (development of symptoms of distress) after exposure to a potentially traumatic stressor (such as rape or other forms of violence), than the provision of psychological intervention soon after the event. In addition, social support may be mutually beneficial/healing to both parties (both recipient and giver).

GENDER – ie being a women, could be seen as a potential RISK FACTOR to developing psychological difficulties, when we realize the potential increased risk women may face of being exposed to various types of (sexual) violence, in addition to other stressors that the family or community as a whole may encounter. The aim of interventions must then be partly to promote more PROTECTIVE factors to counteract this risk. How do we plug this knowledge into an intervention framework?

An example: Control over resources or access to resources (especially in a refugee camp environment), such as firewood or food (ration cards) is a protective factor, although being a single woman in a camp setting may be a risk factor. Employment is a protective factor. Social support is a protective factor.

SGBV Center vs Income Generation and Child Daycare Center Thus, treating the woman out of context (for example, at an “SGBV center” in a refugee camp or elsewhere) may not be preferable for many reasons (not the least of which is that this may be stigmatizing, the women is more than her tragic history/ violent experiences, and is focused more on the past).

Intervention strategies: SGBV Family and community-based interventions may be more effective in promoting healthy coping and protective factors (such as promoting opportunities to establish and maintain social supports, cultural/dance groups, crafts centers or other forms of income generation or skill acquisition, economic opportunities, etc).

Intervention strategies: SGBV Child daycare and activity centers, language classes or adult literacy classes and other such activities can promote recovery and resilience by increasing coping skills and protective factors. These activities are more focused on the present and future, rather than the past directly. Such activities allow the women to be more than “victims of violence”.

Mixed groups… Such activities can also be designed to have a preventative rather than treatment focus. It is preferable that other community members who may not be understood to be survivors of violence are also included in the intervention to promote social networking among different groups, avoid stigmatizing, and to help provide a “normalizing” environment for survivors, reintegrate them within the community (especially if in a culture where rape survivors are often marginalized/socially isolated).