10/06/2003

Unlike most refugee camps throughout the world, men outnumber women in Kakuma camp.  Refugee women in Kakuma face a variety of abuses, many of them cultural.  These abuses range from forced marriages and forced inheritance to genital mutilation, abduction of their children, domestic violence and rape.  Gender-based violence (GBV) in the camp is endemic, and every woman RI interviewed had experienced GBV or felt threatened by it.  UNHCR and its implementing partners have extensive awareness campaigns in the camp and have started support groups.  Many believe that, while the occurrence of GBV is still frequent, the situation is slowly improving and there is a growing awareness of women’s human rights among the refugee population.  In response to the gender-based violence, Jesuit Refugee Services is running a safe haven for women in need of immediate and temporary protection.  If a woman feels threatened, she can seek immediate, temporary safety, theoretically for seven days, until case workers and the community can solve her problem.  In many cases this proves to be a difficult task, and there are some women who have been in the safe haven for six months.  The safe haven has enough beds for six women, but there are currently 24 women and their 42 children.  In addition, UNHCR has created a protection area next to the police station for difficult, “unsolvable” cases.  For many of these cases, resettlement is the only option.  There are 200 people in the protection area, many of whom are fleeing violence, and once inside, because they fear for their safety, do not leave the cramped premises.  Their children do not go to school.  The people living inside the protection area explained they feel like prisoners.