According to UN data, reports of conflict-related sexual violence increased by an alarming 50 per cent last year, with women and girls accounting for 95 per cent of verified cases. However, the agency warned that these numbers only represent a small fraction of the actual reality as many cases go unreported.
Justice out of reach
UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo stated that in many remote locations, access to humanitarian aid and resources is limited, as is access to justice. Survivors often fear retaliation and social marginalization, making seeking justice difficult.
Violence, torture, sexual exploitation, and sexual violence are commonplace in conflict situations, with women’s bodies becoming battlegrounds in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gender-based violence, especially rape, is on the rise.
As women refugees and migrants travel towards the Mediterranean, they face sexual violence, exploitation, enslavement, and trafficking. It is estimated that 90 per cent of them experience rape.
Danger on the move
Survivors of sexual violence fleeing to neighboring countries face additional risks of gender-based violence and struggles in accessing limited services. Women and girls with disabilities, living in poverty, or with diverse sexual orientations are at even higher risk.
Efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence are crucial but underfunded. Only 28 per cent of the required funding for gender-based violence programming for major refugee response plans has been secured.
UNHCR is raising awareness during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, expressing concerns that without adequate funding, millions of displaced women and girls may not receive critical services next year.
