In search of sanctuary
20 May 2016
By Martina Hoggart
By Martina Hoggart
Refugee women and girls are especially vulnerable to sexual violence during conflict, in flight and while living in refugee camps.
Through our partner, Women’s Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) in Tanzania, we are working to tackle the extremely high levels of violence against women reported in Nyarugusu refugee camp in north western Tanzania.
Since last May, the camp has received over 100,000 Burundian refugees and is now at breaking point with thousands of people crammed into mass shelters. There are widespread reports of women being attacked when collecting firewood and of girls as young as nine being forced into marriage to pay off family debt.
Aline is 24 years old and a single mother. She fled Burundi last year with her four young children.“I live in zone 8 of the camp. When I’m at home at night or when I go to collect firewood, I feel unsafe. One night when I was at home with my children a man came in and tried to rape me. My neighbours were passing and rescued me. The man disappeared.”
For Regina, the violence began before she even reached Nyarugusu.
“We had no choice. We had to leave Burundi. Whilst walking on the road with my five month old daughter, four men came and attacked me, beating my body. They attempted to rape me while my daughter was here on my back. People on the road heard my screams and rescued me.”
We are working with WLAC to make Nyarugusu a safer place for women like Aline and Regina by raising awareness of violence against women in the camp and training members of the refugee community as paralegals who can provide free legal assistance and counselling to survivors of violence. We are also working with the police and other service providers to ensure women who have fled violence are treated with care and sensitivity.
More women are now coming forward to report violence and receive support and with your help we can make sure they can access justice and live free from violence.
