Jun 29, 20213 min
Raymond, Benedicta’s brother who live in Ibadan visited his sister that is married from Mbakwande’s village. Benedicta ran to the IDP camp due to the incessant killings in her village. On reaching there, Raymond was shocked to see that she is pregnant in her condition. She narrated to him how the village was attacked and she had to run to the IDP which is the only place available as the whole village was left in shambles. She expressed how it was never her wish for things to be that way but there was nothing she could do. She explained to Raymond her challenges in the camp and how it has been unbearable for her and other women and girls. All these she said with tears in her eyes.
Nigeria is seriously facing security challenges which is the cause of displacement in
the society today. Displacement occurs due to armed banditry, farmers-herders
conflict, inter-communal wars and boundary disputes, amongst others. Nigeria’s
displaced population continue to increase as these conflicts and violence challenges
continue unabated.
More than half of the millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria are
women and girls. They experience displacement differently from men and boys, and
face specific challenges that must be better understood to provide them with the support
they need. Displaced women and girls tend to be at greater risk of deprivation,
insecurity, abuse, neglect and a general weakening of their wellbeing. Their sex and
age also often impede them from making their voices heard or participating in decisions
on matters that affect them.
Internal displacement increases the risk women and girls face of gender-based violence
because it separates them from their communities and sometimes the families that
might otherwise protect them from any violence. Displaced women and girls living in
camps are particularly vulnerable and easy prey to traffickers and other opportunists,
and camps in generally tends to be particularly unfriendly environments for women and
girls. The worsening in housing conditions also leaves them more vulnerable to disturbance and attack. The loss of livelihood opportunities associated with displacement is also a source of insecurity for women and girls, they may be forced to engage in transactional sex to survive. With no hope of survival, families and parents may see child marriage as a coping mechanism to deal with increased in economic hardship.
Women and girls have specific health needs that can be more difficult to meet during
displacement. The limited availability of services and facilities, stigma related to sexual
and reproductive health, lack of child-friendly and gender-sensitive information, and
financial inability to afford contraception or access age-sensitive reproductive health
counselling, stigma surrounding sexual and reproductive health and other factors can
lead to unintended pregnancy and other related health issues. Pregnant women and
girls who have been displaced receive less antenatal care and are more exposed to
violence, malnutrition, poor hygiene conditions and communicable diseases than non-
displaced women and girls. This is particularly severe for adolescent girls who are under
even greater risk of suffering from maternal mortality and illness. As a result, their
children may be born with complications or in poor health. Most of these women and the
adolescent girls in the IDP camps have no information about family planning, some
have wrong information, some have misperceptions about its safety, believing that
family planning is dangerous and it can damage their reproductive system while most of
them lack access to adequate family planning services and Sexual and Reproductive
Health Education, counseling and or information that will direct them on how and when
to space their children, to have safe sex to prevent unintended pregnancy and also
observing of sanitary hygiene.
The consequences of displacement can last for a lifetime, particularly when it interrupts
education and limits future opportunities, and this tends to be the case for girls. If
current trends persist, only one in three girls may have access to education.
Recommendation
1. Government and CSOs should provide urgent and comprehensive SRH care
services to the IDP camps.
2. Create awareness on Sexual and reproductive Health and Rights.
3. Sensitized and encourage them on the importance of reporting cases of sexual
abuse or any form of violence.
4. Government should enforce laws and strengthen measures to punish
perpetrators of sexual abuse.
Conclusion
Internally displaced women and girls require tailored support and protection to ensure
their safety and ability to exercise their rights.
Ramond took her sister from the IDP camp to stay with him in Ibadan so she could have
safe delivery.
Written By Yua Miriam