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Heal Haiti from the rise in sexual violence


Claudine* looks over a vast valley above the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The lushness of tropical vegetation, the fresh cool air and the low-hanging clouds stand in stark contrast to the dusty, hot and sweltering back streets of Petionville, down in the valley, where four years ago she was the victim of a changed sex abuse case. her life.

“I was 16 at the time and was living with her cousin and husband,” she said. “I take care of their children, as if they were my own.” Claudine was supposed to go to school, but after her mother and grandmother died, she had no choice but to become a maid in her cousin’s house. It was there that she was sexually assaulted by her cousin’s husband.

“I didn’t know what to do but a friend reported the incident to the police, but nothing was done to find the man.”

A refuge from abuse

A year after her daughter was born, Claudine was taken to a shelter for abused minors, many of whom are caring for babies just like her. The refuge, where she has lived for three years, is run by Rapha House, an organization committed to ending the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

Residents of Rapha House can purchase personal items.

UN Haiti/Daniel Dickinson

Nahomy Augustin is the project coordinator for the international NGO in Haiti. “Many young women here are victims of extreme poverty and insecurity, to the point where the lack of basic services and opportunities they can access means they become vulnerable,” she said. abused.

The refuge, housed in a deliberately discreet building, in a quiet neighborhood above Port-au-Prince, supports young women recovering from their traumatic experiences. “We take a holistic approach and offer a wide range of services, including medical and psychological care, accommodation and legal advice, and family mediation,” says Nahomy Augustin.

The aim is to help each young woman return to her family within a year as long as it is safe, but many like Claudine stay longer. The shelter can currently accommodate 24 young women as well as their infants, but a new center is under construction that can care for up to 80 people.

The Spotlight Initiative, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEFare supporting this and other shelters for women in Haiti.

Rape as a weapon

Geraldine Alferis is an expert on gender-based violence at UNICEF. “Haiti, and especially the capital Port-au-Prince, is experiencing an increase in gang violence. “Thousands of girls and women are being displaced, which makes them very vulnerable to abuse,” she said.

In July, the United Nations said rival gangs in Port-au-Prince’s Cite Soleil neighborhood were adopting “the systematic use of rape of women and girls as a weapon of war.” painting”.

Geraldine Alferis said: “Grape rape is a particularly tragic incident and so we work to ensure that survivors get the help they need.

Claudine was sexually assaulted when she was 16 years old.

UN Haiti/Daniel Dickinson

The Spotlight Initiative in Haiti focuses on ending domestic violence, rape, incest, sexual harassment, physical and psychological violence, as well as other restrictions on freedoms and rights of women and girls. It also aims to provide comprehensive care for women and girls who are survivors of violence.

During a visit to the refuge, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, said it was “chilling to hear the stories of these women and girls,” adding that “I too am. feel hope and realize the importance of the services they have access to.”

“I am proud of the Spotlight Initiative and the much-needed support it is providing with our local partners, but what I heard during this visit was a stark reminder. about the urgency to address the root causes of sexual violence.”

At the shelter above Port-au-Prince, survivors like Claudine can study, taking classes many missed when they were children. They can also take practical classes to learn skills like sewing or soap making, which can earn them a small amount of money, an important first step to building their independence. .

“Going to school is very important,” Claudine said. “If you are working for a family like me, just getting food and having a bed is not enough. You have to be given the opportunity to learn and make your own life.”

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