On June 30th the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a special policy dialogue on “The
role of women in countries in special situations.” MADRE representatives
attended this dialogue and talked with State members as well as experts on the
critical issues, including sexual violence women in Haiti face and the legal
obligation to have their voices included in decision-making processes.
Epidemic of Rapes Against Women
and Girls in Haiti’s IDP Camps
In the five months following the January 2010 earthquake, one
grassroots women's group tracked 242 rapes in just 25 of the hundreds of IDP
camps in Port-au-Prince. The Haitian government has been able to begin
prosecutions of only a fraction of these cases. At least half of the victims
are Haitian girls under the age of eighteen and medical services are
overwhelmed and unable to meet women's healthcare needs stemming from the
assaults--many women
suffer from depression and are at risk for suicide.
Why Haitian Women’s
Participation is Critical
There is a myriad of
international resolutions and statements that call for women’s inclusion in
decision-making processes. Among them, UN Security Council Resolutions 1325,
1888, and 1889 obligate member states to elevate women’s role in all stages of
peace processes. Haitian women play a critical role in holding communities
together through Haiti’s conflicts and at the same time have suffered
disproportionately. It is their fundamental right to have a voice in the
decision-making processes that ultimately affect their lives. Such a human
rights-based approach is mandated by international law and crucial to
rebuilding Haiti on a more sustainable, equitable and disaster-resilient
foundation.
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