“It has probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in armed conflict.” ~ Major-General Patrick Cammaert, former commander of United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping forces in the eastern Congo
During the past two decades, the world has witnessed brutal conflicts in many corners of the world, including Bosnia, Rwanda, Congo, Darfur, Syria, and Iraq. The stories of atrocities committed against women in these areas have become almost synonymous with the conflicts themselves. Over time, we have seen an increasing recognition by the international community of the role sexual and gender-based violence plays in conflict. It’s now understood that rape can be used as a weapon of war that brings the battlefield straight into homes and communities, and that violence and displacement associated with conflict increases the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual exploitation and opportunistic attacks. Despite the increased attention to the problem, survivors of rape often still lack access to the critical and comprehensive health services they need in the aftermath; an issue the U.N. Secretary General has recently called on countries to address.
A woman has only 72 hours to access emergency contraception and post-exposure prophylaxis treatment in order to prevent pregnancy and HIV following a sexual assault. Locating and receiving both of these services in such a narrow timeframe can be difficult in the best of circumstances, but may be next to impossible for women raped during conflict. Local health systems are often weakened or destroyed by warfare, so few, if any, clinics are likely to remain. Those that do may lack the supplies needed to treat women, or divert resources and attention to treating other conflict-related injuries. Additionally, ongoing violence forces many survivors to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere. However, it may take days to reach the camps and access services there. Once they do, services for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) may still be inadequate to meet their needs, as post-rape care and other reproductive health services are often not prioritized in humanitarian responses.
For women who find themselves facing an unwanted pregnancy as a result of rape, accessing safe abortion care is even more difficult. Several of the countries affected by conflict or hosting refugees in recent years—such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and Syria—ban abortion under most, if not all, circumstances, including rape. Even where abortion is legal, funding, supplies and resources to provide services may be limited. The United States, one of the world’s largest donors to family planning and reproductive health programs and to humanitarian responses, restricts the use of U.S. funds for abortion. The Helms Amendment has been incorrectly interpreted and implemented as a complete ban on the use of U.S. foreign assistance for abortion services, without exception even in cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment.
Women raped in conflict face enough obstacles getting the care they need; the U.S. government should not be yet another. President Obama has been an outspoken advocate for the rights and needs of women and girls, particularly those affected by conflict. He should take action to help these and other vulnerable women by instructing USAID and the State Department to allow funding to be used for abortion services in cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment.
Today marks the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to Human Rights Day on December 10th. Throughout the 16 Days, PAI will feature blogs focused on the theme of this year’s campaign, gender-based violence and militarism.
