The 探花精选 is expanding its Syrian refugee response to support one of the most vulnerable segments of the growing refugee community: women and girls.
The 探花精选 works to support Syrian refugee women.
Photo: Ned Holt / 探花精选
Three 探花精选 emergency assessments completed this year (two in Jordan and one in Lebanon) indicate that women are being directly targeted by rape and other forms of sexual violence, and that that for them, the dangers do not end once they鈥檝e fled the country.
I recently sat down with the 探花精选鈥檚 women鈥檚 protection and empowerment coordinator in Jordan, Melanie Megevand, to discuss the crisis, and the 探花精选鈥檚 response.
Q. Do we have any definitive figures or evidence on how extensive attacks on women and girls are in Syria?
A. We don鈥檛 have a concrete answer, mainly because the 探花精选 is focusing on women and girls once they鈥檝e arrived in Jordan and Lebanon, and we rely on what they tell us. What we do know from the three assessments we鈥檝e completed is that reports of sexual violence 鈥 and of rape in particular 鈥 have been frequently reported by women and girls, and even by men within Syrian households. It has been mentioned as one of the main reasons why families have been fleeing Syria. But while we don鈥檛 have definitive numbers, we do have qualitative measurements. Sexual violence has been frequently reported in our focus group discussions, and that is something that is usually quite rare to get so early when we have not yet established trust and rapport with refugees. And again, the fact that even men are speaking about this in a culture where it鈥檚 taboo to discuss these things is quite telling. It gives us the impression that there are very high levels of sexual violence in Syria.
Q. Can you determine that violence against women in Syria is driving people out of the country?
A. Our assessments in both Lebanon and Jordan were strikingly similar. Sexual violence in Syria was a recurring them among both men and women, and fear of more violence prompted many families to flee Syria.
Q. But the challenges aren鈥檛 over once they arrive in another country?
A. We have a tendency to think once refugees leave their country of origin, they enter a safe place, and we know that is not the case鈥攑articularly with GBV (gender-based violence). GBV occurs prior to conflicts, during conflicts, and after conflicts. As for the latter? Women and girls who鈥檝e fled Syria have reported high levels of domestic violence or what we call 鈥渋ntimate partner violence.鈥 There are also higher risks of exploitation and forced marriage.
Q. Would you explain what you mean by exploitation and forced marriage in this context?
A. Exploitation often takes the form of what we call survival sex, the idea being that it is not based on consent. Women and girls are forced to engage in this to meet needs that cannot meet otherwise. For example, there might be an exchange of sex for access to food or hygiene items. There is exploitation of urban refugees for housing, and shelter. Forced marriages often mean early marriages, where we鈥檙e speaking of girls under the age of 18 getting married. Syrian refugees tell us this is done as a survival mechanism. It might be used to protect a daughter against the threat of rape; if she is single, rape is a greater threat. There鈥檚 an economic aspect as well. If the broader family can鈥檛 adequately provide for each household member, there might be pressure to marry off a daughter. From our perspective this is in no way a choice, because their decisions are based on survival. They must do whatever they can to meet their basic needs so are forced into this when there is no other way. And when you are forced it is not consent 鈥 it鈥檚 not a choice.
Q. Are there support systems in place?
A. They鈥檙e insufficient. There are a number of systems that existed prior to the Syrian influx for Jordanians and for Iraqi refugees, but these services aren鈥檛 coordinated, and there aren鈥檛 specialised services in place to specifically address the levels of gender-based violence we鈥檙e hearing about.
Q. So what do these women and girls need most?
A. We want to get to those in need by using social workers, who can identify what services are most needed based on the incidents reported, and what services a survivor would like to and need to receive in terms of health, psychosocial services, but also economic support they need in order to recover. We need to take a holistic approach to recovery, and we need to move quickly. The trust-building process takes time, and needs to be done in a safe and private space. We intend to start this process in Jordan and Lebanon in the coming weeks.
Q. Safe spaces are something we often talk about at the 探花精选 in terms of women鈥檚 recovery needs. Would you explain what they are and why they are so important in this context?
A. What is really needed in the type of emergency situation we鈥檙e seeing is a physical space where women and girls can safely and freely meet. It should be a place where they can access information, meet one another, and discuss common issues. Women are typically in charge of the household in this region, so there鈥檚 a great burden when they arrive in a new country in terms of orientation. Where do you go to get food? Where do you go if your child is sick? Where do you go for education? Safe spaces also provide a place where women can discuss issues that they cannot freely discuss in public. They enable them to create support groups. For instance, here in Jordan at the Zaatari tent camp, Syrian women say they don鈥檛 have a private place where they can cry. And these are things that women must have. They need to have space where they can feel comfortable to be able to release their emotions and to be able to begin to address them.
Q. Is there enough of a focus on gender-based violence in refugee crises?
A. People don鈥檛 realise that this is lifesaving. People typically think what is most needed at the onset of a catastrophe is shelter, food and water. But GBV prevents women and girls from accessing these services. It鈥檚 an essential need that must be provided from the start and throughout, because changing social norms and reducing levels of GBV is a long term project, but it鈥檚 not something that you can leave until later. It needs to be addressed from the onset.
