2021 marks the tenth year since the beginning of the conflict in Syria. Ten years later, the country continues to endure new waves of violence, instability and uncertainty for the future. The crisis continues to threaten the livelihoods of most Syrians, who struggle to meet basic needs for food, shelter and protection. The impact of war has altered the social and gender dynamics as well. Families and communities have adopted harmful coping mechanisms, ‘many of which disproportionately affect women and girls, including child marriage, forced marriage and various forms of gender-based violence’ (UNOCHA 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan). However, gender-based violence affects different communities differently, including boys, men, people with disabilities, the elderly, LGBTI individuals, etc. Young girls forced to early marriage, widows and divorced women isolated in refugee camps, are among the communities most at risk from exploitation and abuse. The high numbers of boys experiencing verbal violence in school, forced labour, physical violence and sexual harassment, is another form of GBV affected the lives of people in northwest Syria.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
An umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and that is based on socially as cribbed (i.e. gender) differences between males and females. The term ‘gender-based violence’ is primarily used to underscore the fact that structural, gender-based power differentials between males and females around the world place females at risk for multiple forms of violence. As agreed in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993), this includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. The term is also used by some actors to describe some forms of sexual violence against males and /or targeted violence against LGBTI populations, in these cases when referencing violence related to gender-inequitable norms of masculinity and/or norms of gender identity.
Situation in Northwest Syria
Gender-based violence (GBV) affects the lives of children, young girls and boys, women, men, the elderly, widow women, divorced, single mothers, and can take a form of sexual assault, emotional, physical or verbal violence, early/forced marriage, child labour, and denial of resources and services, all of which are rising in Syria in recent months. Frequent military operations over ten years of conflict has led to massive displacement resulting in overcrowded refugee camps. This is particularly challenging for humanitarian organizations, where the needs to provide aid to new IDPs remains highly demanding. This dire situation often results in lack of shelters (often refugees sleep outside of the camp due to lack of space), limited protection resources and lack of privacy – all of which manifests into serious risks of various forms of GBV for vulnerable communities. With new wave of IDPs and overcrowded camps, the region of northwest Syria has seen a rise of early and forced marriage of adolescence girls in 2020, according to the assessment report published by UNFPA last year. Lack of space has forced people to live or share their accommodation with new families settled in. Confined in such situations, families may resort to forcing their daughters to marry an older or already married men with whom they share accommodation.
Other contributing factors are considered to be connected with poor livelihood conditions, which has led to an increase of psychosocial stress. These are fueled by increased economic hardship that has limited opportunities for employment – especially for heads of household, a side-effect of prolonged lockdown measures due to COVID-19 and ongoing economic collapse in Syria. Due to economic hardship, households have been forced to alternate ‘negative coping strategies’ which has raised serious worries on protection of children. ‘Child labour and early or forced marriage were widely reported coping strategies due to a lack of household income’ – reads the report published by REACH. The psycho-social impacts particularly affect vulnerable populations, notably, women and girls, women and girls with disabilities, and pregnant women, who are most heavily impacted by GBV (UNOCHA Situation Report of September/October/December 2020).
Another group highly exposed to GBV are divorced and widow women, particularly in IDP camps around northwest Syria. In some camps, divorced and widow women are housed separately, as a way of protection. However, the separation of divorced and widow women in some camps has increased their risk of experiencing ‘sexual violence, emotional and verbal abuse, forced marriage, polygamy and serial temporary marriages, economic violence’ amongst others. ‘This is a direct consequence of being more isolated, visible and accessible to individuals who seek to exploit, abuse and shame them.’ (UNFPA assessment report).
A gender mainstreaming lens also takes into account the differing risks and issues confronting men and women, and gender-based violence in northwest Syria has also affected the lives of boys and male adolescents, where a rise in cases of verbal violence in school, forced labour, and physical violence in addition to sexual harassment and sexual abuse, have been reported in 2020. Here it is important to note that GBV experts in northwest Syria have noticed that some boys are seeking help through GBV specialized facilities in northwest Syria, which speaks to the importance of keeping these centers alive and working, because this will allow for more outreach, increase visibility targeting boys and men, and offer services to survivors of gender-based violence – vital mechanisms in the fight against GBV. (UNFPA Assessment report Voices from Syria 2020, UNOCHA Situation Report of October 2020)
Lack of funds critical for GBV survivors and inclusive humanitarian response
Lack of funds to support GBV programs are particularly a significant gap to organizations’ ability to respond the needs of affected populations. Such programs are crucial across all stakeholders and requires a response between international organizations, local, and national authorities, as well as local civil society organizations alike. According to the OCHA Situation Report of October 2020, there were ‘41 functional Women and Girl’s Safe Spaces across northwest Syria for a population of 4.1 million individuals’, and ‘gaps in funding result in a significant loss of emergency response capacity’ notes the OCHA’s situation report of September 2020 GBV partners struggle to sustain these spaces due to lack of funds. Critical GBV services, including WGSS, should be considered essential in any new or updated preparedness and response plans related to COVID-19.’
To help reach out to these communities where the risk of gender-based violence is prevalent, GBV centers and services need to focus on transformational/grass-root response mechanisms within humanitarian aid response. By focusing on small-scale interventions for example, targeting families and community units, GBV actors can help addressing harmful coping mechanisms that have been adopted by affected communities to coop with the situation. In addition, by targeting families and community units, stressing the importance of providing equal opportunities to girls and boys, and the impact of such strategies on their children’s life cycle, will further foster a safer space for all family members, primarily for young boys and girls. Another element that can contribute to help create an inclusive GBV response, is providing inclusive services for at risk communities of experience gender-based violence. That is, including psychosocial support services, family planning services, in addition to reproductive health services, trainings and other educational programs. (UNFPA Voices from Syria 2020)
Trust’s research for projects providing GBV services shows the importance of accessibility and availability of services in the fight against gender-based violence in northwest Syria. Generally, when the aid office, service centers, and toilets are easily accessible – located in well-lit areas, and within walking distance, can contribute to the overall safety and security inside the camp. Poor lighting may contribute to crime and violence in general, including gender-based violence. Sandra Krause (2015), noted that in Zaatari Camp (refugee camp in Jordan), women expressed concerns about the lack of lighting and their fears of using the toilets at night. Oxfam and the Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) literature review (2018) cites scholar Elizabeth Sloand and her research in refugee camps Haiti, where she identified several reasons for an increase in the number of rapes in the camps in Haiti. Such reasons were: poor lighting, long walks to a bathroom that was particularly treacherous after dark, flimsy tents that were not able to be locked at night, and a post-earthquake disruption in the usual societal norms of protection and community responsibility.
Another good practice observed was the access provided for people with disabilities. The aid center provided a road level at the entrance, specifically designed for people with physical disabilities. Access to services for all beneficiaries, contributes to equal accessibility to services, particularly important for those affected by gender-based violence who can reach out for services in a timely manner.
GBV services are life-saving services for communities living in camp settings in northwest Syria. Lack of funds, or lack of access to such services, may put individuals and communities at risk of harm and long-term suffering. Therefore, gender-based violence requires a holistic response; a combination of different tools and recourses – from lighting streets, special GVB services for children, men, and women, to awareness raising campaigns, training of humanitarian staff working in camps, etc.
Clarification: The article does not reflect on cases of gender-based violence targeting or affecting LGBTI individuals or communities, due to lack of data. References shall be understood to be in full compliance with UN Human Rights Council Resolutions on sexual orientation and gender identity A/HRC/RES/32/2 (2016), A/HRC/RES/27/32 (2014) and A/HRC/RES/17/19 (2011).
About the Author
Emel Ajdini currently a Junior Project Officer with Trust’s Third-Party Monitoring Department. She completed MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of law in Geneva, Switzerland. She has long experience in transitional justice and human rights projects in the Western Balkans, in addition to violent extremism, capacity building, and advocacy. Emel is passionate for human rights, gender equality and peace building.
Sources
United Nation Population Fund – UNFPA.2020. ‘Voices from Syria 2020.’’ Assessment report. 02 Apr 2020. https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/voices_from_syria_2020_final_draft.pdf
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Syrian Arab Republic.
Recent Developments in Northwest Syria. Situation Report No. 20. 9 September 2020
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Syrian Arab Republic.
Recent Developments in Northwest Syria. Situation Report No. 21. 20 October 2020
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Syrian Arab Republic.
Recent Developments in Northwest Syria. Situation Report No. 23. 21 December 2020
REACH Initiative. Humanitarian Situation Overview in Syria (HSOS): Northwest Syria November 2020. 18 Dec 2020. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/REACH_SYR_NWS_SO_Nov2020.pdf
Sandra Krause, Holly Williams, Monica A Onyango, Samira Sami, Wilma Doedens, Noreen Giga, Erin Stone, Barbara Tomczyk ‘Reproductive health services for Syrian refugees in Zaatri Camp and Irbid City, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: an evaluation of the Minimum Initial Services Package.’ Conflict and Health (2015) https://conflictandhealth.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1752-1505-9-S1-S4.pdf
Sue Cavill, Jeanne Vidal, Brian Reed, Jonathan Rouse, Julie Fisher ‘Lighting, WASH and Gender-Based Violence in Camp Settings.’ Oxfam and the Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) Literature review. (2018) https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/620606/rr-lighting-sanitation-literature-review-211218-en.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y
