Abdallah Dey茅 Narh (right) explains his contribution to the fight against sexual violence. (Photo: Brenna O鈥橰ourke/The 探花精选)
Guest blogger Brenna O鈥橰ourke is an 探花精选 intern in Chad, where the 探花精选 is providing healthcare and other essential services to 58,000 Darfuri refugees in two camps, and to local communities who support them. When women and girls flee a crisis such as the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, the threat of assault follows them. They can also face early marriage, domestic violence, genital mutilation or harassment. Our work in Chad includes urgent care for survivors of sexual violence. We also reach out to men and boys to change attitudes that foster violence against women.
In December 2009, Sudanese refugee Hassan Mahamat Nour closed his popular shop in Our茅 Cassoni camp for several days. He forfeited valuable income for his large family. But he felt it was essential to take part in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence and support women in the camp in eastern Chad. Hassan explained to me: 鈥淢y shop is a means to earn money for my family. But, for me, working to defend the rights of women and girls is more important than my shop.鈥 Hassan himself has two wives and several daughters. 鈥淎ll men in this camp were born from women and theyall have wives and daughters,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f girls here can move away from early and forced marriage, they can continue their studies, they have every opportunity to become capable women and be well-placed in society.鈥
In August 2009, Hassan joined the 探花精选鈥檚 Gender-based Violence (GBV) team as a community volunteer to raise awareness of the harmful effects of violence against women. He is now one of three men who are fighting GBV within the camp by organising trainings and campaigns. Hassan admits that, before he personally attended an 探花精选 training, he didn鈥檛 recognise the negative consequences of violence against women and girls. Now he says: 鈥淢y wife asked me why I often come to the women鈥檚 center. It鈥檚 because women suffer in their lives, especially women in this camp due to the behavior of our parents and men. So I come to the women鈥檚 center to help the 探花精选 change behavior.鈥 The essential role of men in the fight against gender violence is often overlooked. However, in a community like Our茅 Cassoni where women鈥檚 voices are often silenced, it is men who will be heard. Prominent community leader Abdallah Dey茅 Narh told me: 鈥淭he fight against GBV must involve men, for in most cases it is men who are the perpetrators of violence against women and girls. Men are capable of starting to reduce the rate of GBV themselves.鈥 Abdallah is a voluntary literacy teacher at one of the 探花精选 women鈥檚 centers in the camp. He said he volunteers to 鈥済ive my contribution to my sisters, mothers, and daughters.鈥 鈥淚 want to see all women refugees in Our茅 Cassoni be happy despite the war that continues at home,鈥 Abdallah said. 鈥淢en must understand that the consequences of GBV are very harmful and that the solution is found between the hands of a man.鈥
