Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
26 October 2007
Galkayo — Sexual violence remains part of daily life for many women living in camps for internally displaced people.
According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, after years of war rape has become a threat to women in Somalia whenever they move along roads, due to the presence of militia at illegal roadblocks and in IDP settlements such as Galkayo, which hosts about 50,000 persons.
One of them, 33-year-old Hibo, a widow, told UNHCR that security had improved slightly since a small police station was built nearby. "However, three women were still assaulted each night, she told UNHCR. "I don't expect much help from the police. They cannot do anything and the culprit might take revenge if I dare complain," she said.
Farhia, an aid worker explained that there was not much she could do. "Rape remains a strong taboo in Somali society. A young woman who has been raped will not be able to find a husband, while a married woman is frequently thrown out by her husband," she explained.
A nurse said, "Women are raped almost daily on the isolated outskirts of the town. We systematically do a tetanus shot; since young Somali women are genitally mutilated and infibulated, rapists always use a knife to rip their vagina open.
"We encourage them to talk because we want to make sure they won't commit suicide. But sometimes we find out the truth only when it is too late. We also care for several pregnant women who look perfectly normal. Once they deliver, they kill their baby and this is how we understood that they had been raped."
Rape has been a Somali disease ever since the central government collapsed 17 years ago, she said. The nurse said perpetrators were rarely brought to justice; that cases were usually dealt with through traditional means, with the attacker having to pay compensation to the victim's father or husband, but never to her.
To ensure survivors of sexual violence receive support, a network of UN agencies including UNHCR, UNFPA and UNICEF has launched a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response plan. The plan will build upon local NGOs, where fully committed Somali men and women intend to put an end to sexual violence.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 Catholic Information Service for Africa. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
