It is estimated that one in every three women across the globe experiences some form of physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime.
And while the spotlight is currently on Ethiopia due to its ongoing conflict, many of its neighbours in East Africa are also suffering from high levels of sexual and gender-based violence.
There are some common reasons behind the prevalence of sexual violence in East African countries.
Most East African countries rank at the top of the UN’s Gender inequality Index. In these countries, trust for the police and authorities are also low and the cost of legal recourse can be prohibitive. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for example, court fees for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence can reach the equivalent of up to $1,000 – an amount way beyond the financial means of most. All this results in acts of sexual and gender-based violence being committed widely, and with impunity.
International NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders, MSF) revealed that, in 2020, their teams provided assistance to nearly 11,000 people in DRC for physical and psychological conditions related to sexual violence.
In its report, MSF acknowledged that renewed conflict in Eastern DRC led to an increase in cases of sexual violence in the region. But it also underlined that “sexual violence in DRC is not only linked to armed conflict”. Just like it is the case in Ethiopia, thousands of women and girls in DRC are being subjected to sexual and gender-based violence every year – by their partners, relatives, and members of their own community – in areas not affected by any armed conflict.
The evidence collated by MSF further clarifies why sexual violence should not be treated merely as a by-product of conflict in countries like the DRC and Ethiopia.
To end the problem for good, it is crucial to implement bespoke methodologies to deal with armed and non-armed perpetrators of sexual violence. Initiatives aimed at preventing acts of sexual violence during armed conflict cannot succeed on their own. They need to be supported by initiatives, policies and advocacy aimed at eradicating the root causes of sexual violence – norms and customs that disadvantage women and girls, lack of access to justice, distrust in police and authorities etc
Men and boys also represent a minority of sexual violence victims, both in Ethiopia and the DRC, and for them, the social barriers to accessing support of any kind can be even higher. So any attempt to tackle sexual violence in these countries, or any other country in the region, should also include initiatives aimed at helping male victims.
The other main drivers of sexual and gender-based violence in the Horn of Africa include economic hardship, displacement, famine and natural disasters.
Excerpted: ‘How to address the sexual violence epidemic in Ethiopia?’
Aljazeera.com