Sexual exploitation of IDPs
Three days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate investigation into alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps. His orders came on the heels of a damning report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). It would be recalled that in July this year, HRW documented alleged sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation of 43 women and girls in the IDPs camps in Borno State by soldiers and other security agencies. The victims were displaced from several towns and villages including Abadan, Bama, Baga, Damasak, Dikwa,Gamboru,Ngala,Gwoza,
Definitely, we welcome the order from President Buhari for comprehensive investigations into such atrocities with a view to unmasking and punishing those behind such sordid acts. All through history, people have been displaced as result of war, famine, earthquake, flood and other natural disasters. Instinctively, victims of such happenstance had always sought shelter in safer places far removed from the troubled spots.
It is therefore heart-rending that Nigerians, who fled to safety with minimal personal possessions, are being exploited, raped and even trafficked for money by those whose responsibility is to protect them. It is unfortunate that while we continue witnessing blood-chilling atrocities by Boko Haram against civilians in the country’s northeast, the sexual exploitation of women and girls pose serious threats to their freedom and health.
Even though the dehumanisation of women has been going on for long in these camps, reports show that protecting them from gender-based violence remains a complex problem. According to a recent UNHCR report: “In many refugee situations, particularly those involving the confinement in closed camps, traditional behavioural norms and restraints break down. In such circumstances, women and girls may be raped and self-appointed leaders may thwart attempts to punish the offenders. In some situations, women and girls have been known to enter what are called ‘protection marriages’ in order to avoid sexual assault.”
It is worth rehashing that sex crimes are a serious problem because they violate personal freedoms, traumatise the victim, and often lead to undesired pregnancy, unsafe abortions, complications tied to early childbearing age, or even death. Incidentally, the reason for the deplorable situation of violence against displaced women and girls that is still ongoing in these camps is simply inadequate implementation of a range of existing policies that aim to protect and prevent them from assaults.
For example, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women stipulates, “that states should employ necessary steps toward eradicating the prostitution and trafficking of women. It also stipulates that women have the right to the highest standard attainable of physical health and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
We believe this norm should be applied to protect women in refugee and IDP camps from assaults.
When assaults are made by security personnel and humanitarian staff, they represent the abuse of power. However, this challenge is solvable, as it is largely a matter of policy not adequately implemented. We therefore urge that internally displaced persons should be counseled, cared for and assisted to overcome the emotional traumatisation that is usually associated with such nasty experience.
