SOMALIA - Report from Dadaab: Women's Bleak Reality

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 001616

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S CARSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF SOCI KWMN KE SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Report from Dadaab: Women's Bleak Reality


1. Summary: While Dadaab's 287,000 refugees are all suffering from
tremendously overstretched resources and services, women are
disproportionately affected by the difficult conditions and daily
challenges of camp life. The most pressing issues identified by the
women and girls in Dadaab include: sexual and gender-based violence,
female genital mutilation, lack of availability and access to
education, and deteriorating health. Across the board, health
conditions and indicators in Dadaab are currently far below the
standard for emergency situations. On a recent visit to Dadaab, the
women with whom we spoke all agreed that camp overcrowding has
exacerbated the already dire situation they face. End Summary.

--------------
Women Disproportionately Affected
--------------


2. Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp - made up of Dagahaley, Ifo, and
Hagadera camps - was originally built in the early 1990s to
accommodate 90,000 people. Today Dadaab stands as the world's
largest refugee camp, sheltering more than 287,000 persons. Over
6,500 new arrivals continue to pour in each month, 50% of whom are
children. Land, infrastructure, and resources - including food,
water, latrines, education, and health services - are tremendously
overstretched. The daily conditions of life in Dadaab are dire, but
women and their children are overwhelmingly affected by the violence
and poor living standards in the camps. On July 20-22, Embassy
representatives visited Dadaab and spoke with women's groups,
recently arrived refugees, and women and their daughters who have
been living in Dadaab for almost two decades.


3. Nearly every woman with whom we spoke noted that "the problems
women have are many," and identified sexual and gender-based
violence (SGBV) as a top priority. According to UNHCR officials in
Dadaab, SGBV cases more than doubled in 2008 from the year before.
The majority of cases, however, go unreported, as women lack
confidence in protection and prosecution services, and also fear
stigmatization from the community. A limited security presence in
the camps also presents a challenge, compounded by the lack of
female police officers.


4. Members of the Together Women group in Ifo told us of recent
incidences of rape when women travel to the bush to fetch firewood.
Because resources are overstretched, firewood is no longer provided
and women are often the ones who go to look for it. (Note: Firewood
is not currently being provided because UNHCR is still in
negotiations with local officials on the price per ton. There has
been no firewood contract in effect since January. End note.)
Women face severe risk, and are often raped or abused by men en
route to areas where they might find wood. Further, women who are
raped often face a double victimization, as they are often shunned
by their family. A middle-aged woman from the Circle of Friends
organization, a group that addressed SGBV in the Hagadera camp, told
us that her husband divorced her when he found out she was raped. A
majority of women in the camps are divorced or widowed, often solely
responsible for a large number of family members and children.


5. Domestic violence is another common problem. A young man who is
a member of the Men Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) group in
Ifo camp, noted that "some males think that their wives are their
property. . .they think that women are like hens, and they can hit
them because they are their wives." A woman who is a member of the
Parents Against FGM group in Ifo noted that "there are not many
supportive men in the camps, and not many who know or understand
women's rights." Because women are often most vulnerable, a "safe
haven" was constructed in Ifo to offer physical safety to women who
have been victimized or face severe security threats.

--------------
Female Genital Mutilation:
An Almost Universal Practice
--------------


6. Despite major campaigns to counter the traditional practice, FGM
continues to be a major issue in Dadaab. Estimates suggest that
over 96 percent of all Somali women in the camps undergo this
practice. FGM is illegal in Kenya, so women opt to perform FGM
privately, including the traditional celebrations that accompany the
ritual. The practice, while almost universal, has been driven
underground in the camps. The pressure to circumcise daughters is
still very strong, partly because of the misconception that it is
sanctioned by the Quran, as well as the belief that an uncircumcised
girl will never find a husband.


7. Parents who choose to leave their daughters uncircumcised face
alienation from the community, and are often accused of rejecting
their culture and religion. Young girls who are uncircumcised often
drop out of school due to verbal and physical abuse. One father
moved with his five daughters from the Hagadera camp to the Ifo camp
so that he could escape the harassment he faced for not accepting

NAIROBI 00001616 002 OF 003


the practice. Leaving daughters uncircumcised also creates tensions
within families when there is disagreement on the importance of
circumcision. There are a few parents in the camp willing to
undergo the discrimination and harassment that accompanies having
uncircumcised daughters, but many find it easier to succumb to
community pressure, fearing for the safety of their families.


8. There is some progress in the fight against FGM. Many community
organizations, religious leaders and community elders have been
vocal on the issue, emphasizing that FGM is not prescribed by the
Quran, as well as the dangerous nature of the practice. Men are
also beginning to be involved in fighting FGM. One community group,
Men against FGM, is an example. A major obstacle to those fighting
FGM, however, is the frequent influx of new refugees, often from
rural Somalia. Upon arriving, our interlocutors told us these
refugees set back the progress made in the camps by increasing the
pressure to continue the practice. Consequently, those fighting FGM
have to redouble their efforts to reach these newcomers.

--------------
Maternal Health Compromised
--------------


9. Women's health in the camps is severely compromised. FGM has
huge health ramifications for women, contributing to widespread
cases of fistula, infections, problems giving birth, and a greater
potential for HIV transmission. Nutrition is another issue.
According to physician assistants at the International Rescue
Committee (IRC) hospital in Hagadera - one of three hospitals in all
of Dadaab - anemia is one of the largest problems for women in the
camp, and contributes to high rates of maternal mortality.


10. Maternity wards in the camps are filled beyond capacity. At
the IRC hospital, we observed women lying on mattresses on the
ground in the back of the hospital due to lack of beds. Adequate
space and staff are lacking, especially given the consistent influx
of so many new arrivals. Physician assistants and staff workers at
the hospital complained about the fact that women need the consent
of their husband or father to get an operation or caesarean section
during delivery, which is becoming increasingly necessary as women
face many problems giving birth. "Men sit under a tree to discuss
the fate of women - whether or not she or the baby should be the one
to live," noted an aid worker.


11. A noted success for women's health in Dadaab is a marked
improvement in the number of women giving birth in hospitals.
Incentives have been developed to urge more women to give birth
outside their homes, including the provision of registration and
ration cards for newborns at the hospital (instead of weeks later),
a basket of soap and non-food items for the mother, and a recent
program to offer free taxi services for women who commit to giving
birth in a hospital. According to a UNHCR health official, rates of
hospital deliveries are now well above 70 percent, and the rate of
maternal and child health has improved, even if many of the
maternity wards are chronically overcrowded.

--------------
Additional Women's Health Issues
--------------


12. Lack of sanitary pads was another commonly identified problem
by the women and girls we met. Muraya Ibrahim, chairwoman of the
Together Women Group in Hagadera, noted that sanitary pads are
provided inconsistently to women, sometimes once a month, other
times not at all. Alice, an aid worker for CARE, also told us that
women complain about the quality of pads, as they are often reusable
and not as sanitary. (Note: The difficulty with providing disposable
sanitary pads in camps is their disposal - refuse pits are overfull
due to camp over-population. Another issue is the recurring costs
to NGOs with limited budgets to provide the pads. End note.) CARE
is advocating for disposable pads, especially for younger girls, so
that they do not miss school due to menstruation.


13. There is a gaping hole in the provision of mental health or
psycho-social services for women in Dadaab. A 30-year old Sudanese
refugee who serves as a counselor at Dagahaley noted that there were
only eleven community counselors serving the entire camp. Many women
go to the health units being violently raped. Most of these women do
not receive mental health counseling. Further, a UNHCR Chief of
Public Health noted that there is a gap between clinical services
and community outreach in the camps, and no connection between the
two.

--------------
Addressing Girls' Education
--------------


14. The education system in the Dadaab camps is very weak, but
nevertheless highly valued by the refugee community. As of July

NAIROBI 00001616 003 OF 003


2009, approximately half of the children aged 5 - 17 were accessing
formal education in the camps. There are nineteen primary schools
but only three official secondary schools. Due to the aid
organizations' inability to fund another secondary school, community
members pooled resources and established a community secondary
school in March of 2008, revealing initiative and appreciation of
education among the refugees.


15. There are major weaknesses in the Dadaab school system. Out of
721 teachers, only 63 are trained, and many have not even completed
secondary school. UNHCR recognized this as a major problem and has
proposed the creation of a teachers college in the camp to
facilitate training. They have yet to receive funding for this
proposal, as many donors (including the USG) only have one-year
funding instead of the multi-year funding teacher training would
require. The poor school facilities are also a major problem. Due
to the influx of refugees over the past year, the already
dilapidated and small facilities are strained, creating a difficult
learning environment and discouraging students from attending
school. Primary schools have the dismal teacher/student ration of
1:68, and with 50% of new arrivals young children, the capacity of
the primary schools will only be strained further.


16. Despite the overall difficult situation for students in Dadaab,
female students are even more disenfranchised. Somali cultural and
family mores mean that young girls are responsible for household
chores, which make it difficult for them to focus on studies. Young
girls drop out of school for a variety of reasons, including
household duties, early marriage, over-crowded facilities or lack of
family support. Only 26% of secondary school students are girls.
One mother recommended the creation of boarding schools for girls,
so that they are able to focus on studies and avoid pressure to drop
out. The World Food Program, a USG partner that provides services
in the camps, has a program to give girls a kilo of sugar if they
maintain consistent attendance. The program has met with some
success.


17. Girls also have fewer opportunities for after-school or
recreational sports than boys. Although some girls have a strong
desire to play sports, they do not have adequate facilities,
equipment or training to create sports teams. Community members who
consider sports to be immodest and an activity meant solely for boys
discourage participation. The Embassy is working with a Dabaab-based
youth soccer league to provide uniforms and equipment and will
ensure that girls are included in the initiative.

--------------
Improvements and Recommendations
--------------


18. There are some positive improvements for women. Men and women
alike noted that "girls are even attending university," and women
are occupying leadership positions within the community and within
community-based organizations. Many refugee-initiated community
groups are active on issues facing women, including Parents Against
FGM, Circle of Women, Together Women, and implementing partners who
continue to do engagement on issues concerning domestic violence,
FGM, and women's health. Anne, a CARE staff member in the gender and
development section, noted that, increasingly, women are becoming
economically empowered and are the backbone of their families, by
finding income-generating opportunities within the camps. Women
continue to demonstrate their strength and resilience, despite the
violence and vulnerability they face.


19. Possibilities and recommendations for continued engagement
include: enhanced support for psychosocial and mental health
services; provision of firewood so women are less vulnerable;
training of more female police officers; increased support for
girls' sports, including the provision of equipment, coaches, and
awareness building within the community; and a greater emphasis on
girls' education, including the construction of a boarding school
for girls.

SLUTZ