More than 60 million forcibly displaced or stateless women and girls around the world are at high risk of gender-based violence (GBV), according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). While GBV remains one of the world's most widespread human rights violations, UNHCR warns that the risks are heightened for women and girls living in situations of war and conflict or who have been forced to flee their homes.
According to UN data, reports of conflict-related sexual violence increased by 50 percent last year compared to the previous year. Women and girls accounted for 95 percent of verified cases.
“These numbers represent a small fraction of the reality, as many cases of these abominable violations and violence affecting women and girls’ health, dignity, security, and autonomy go unreported,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
“In many remote locations, humanitarian access is cut off or resources and assistance are scarce.”
Mantoo said that access to justice also remained limited, and survivors feared retaliation and social marginalization.
“Our colleagues working in situations of conflict around the world continue to hear from female survivors about the horrors they have faced, from brutal violence, torture, sexual exploitation, sexual violence – including as a weapon of war – to the denial of fundamental human rights, including self-agency and autonomy,” she said.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for example, women and girls face an "unbearable plight" as their bodies have become an extension of the "battleground" amid cyclical violence and worsening insecurity, including in designated displacement sites. According to humanitarian data, reports of gender-based violence have increased this year, with the majority of these violations reported as rape.
In Chad, women have reported being raped while fleeing the war in Sudan.
“In Afghanistan, increasing restrictions on women and girls, high rates of domestic violence at home, and the overall worsening economic situation are contributing to a mental health crisis, with UNHCR partners reporting an increase in the number of patients seeking help,” Mantoo said.
Sexual violence and exploitation, enslavement and trafficking continue to be reported among the litany of risks and abuses faced by refugees and migrants on the Mediterranean routes. According to humanitarian estimates, 90 percent of women and girls traveling along the Mediterranean route are raped.
Survivors of sexual violence who have fled to neighboring countries often remain in precarious situations due to the additional risks of gender-based violence they may face during their displacement and delays in accessing services, which may be limited.
According to UNHCR, in addition to conflict-related sexual violence, forcibly displaced women and girls are at high risk of intimate partner violence. In some displacement settings, the risk for them has been estimated to be 20 percent higher than for non-displaced women and girls.
Intersecting forms of discrimination also contribute to risks, including for women and girls with disabilities, those living in poverty, or those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics.
"These are only a few illustrations of this chronically underreported pandemic. Across the world, we see mounting attacks on women’s rights – from violence to restrictions on women's autonomy and agency, among others. Women-led organizations – including refugee-led ones – are bearing much of the backlash," the UNHCR spokesperson said.
The need for services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence for women and girls affected by forced displacement and conflict far exceeds available funding.
"For instance, for six major regional refugee response plans – covering humanitarian needs for refugees from the DRC, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, South Sudan and Syria – gender-based violence programming for the entire year for all participating organizations amounting to $236 million are currently only 28 percent funded," Mantoo emphasized.
UNHCR fears that without adequate funding, millions of forcibly displaced women and girls may not be able to access critical services next year.
According to the UN agency, early and effective GBV prevention and response efforts around the world are life-saving and life-changing, as these programs have a measurable impact on the lives of displaced and stateless women and girls, as well as their host communities.
The UN Refugee Agency is highlighting the issue during the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence", a global campaign that runs from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, Human Rights Day.
Gender-based violence - also known as sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) - is a form of violence perpetrated against individuals because of their gender or perceived gender. GBV can include a wide range of acts, such as physical, sexual or psychological violence, as well as harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation or forced marriage.
While GBV is perpetrated against girls and women in the majority of verified cases, it can also affect boys and men, as well as those who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming.
Gender-based violence is a serious human rights violation that can have devastating physical, emotional, and social consequences for survivors and their families. GBV is often rooted in gender inequality and discriminatory social norms that reinforce gender roles and stereotypes, and can be used as a means of control and domination.
Gender-based violence is particularly acute in humanitarian crises such as conflicts, displacement and natural disasters, where people are at increased risk of experiencing violence and exploitation. Humanitarian emergencies often lead to a breakdown of law and order, which can allow perpetrators of GBV to go unpunished. In many cases, armed groups use GBV as a weapon of war.
Further information
Full text: UNHCR warns of devastating spike in risk of gender-based violence for women and girls forced to flee, UNHCR , press briefing notes, released November 29, 2024
https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-warns-devastating-spike-risk-gender-based-violence-women-and-girls-forced
Website: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, UN Women, campaign website
https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/16-days-of-activism