Below are some reflections on Dadaab. I spent three days there with my colleague and fellow HKS student Shamis. We were hosted by UNCHR, and traveled to all three camps talking to women's groups, community organizations, and NGOs to better understand issues affecting Somali women and girl refugees.
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As Molly noted, 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, yet today Dadaab stands as the world’s largest refugee camp. Over 6,500 new arrivals continue to pour in each month, 50% of which are children. Land, infrastructure, and resources – including food, water, latrines, education, and health services – are tremendously overstretched. Women overwhelmingly bear the brunt of these dire circumstances.
While all of Dadaab’s 287,000 refugees are all suffering from tremendously overstretched resources and services, women overwhelmingly bear the brunt of the burden. The most pressing issues identified by the women and girls in Dadaab include: sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), female genital mutilation (FGM), lack of availability and access to education, and deteriorating health indicators. Across the board, health indicators in Dadaab are currently below those used as the standard for emergency situations. Overcrowded conditions in the camps are exacerbating the problems faced by women.
SGBV a High Priority. Nearly every woman we spoke to in Dadaab noted that “the problems women have are many,” and identified sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as a top priority to address. According to UNCHR 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 presence of police in the camps also presents a challenge, compounded by the fact that there is a lack of female police officers.
Members of the Together Women group in Ifo spoke of recent incidences of rape when women travel to the bush to fetch firewood. Because resources are overstretched, firewood is no longer provided to refugees, and women are often the ones who go to look for it. They face severe risk, and are often raped or abused by men en route. Further, women who are raped often face a double victimization, as they are often shunned from their family. A middle-aged woman from the Circle of Friends organization, a group organized to address 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.
Domestic violence is another common problem. A young male who is a member of the Men Against 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 part 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 over 96%. Despite major campaigns to counter the traditional practice, female genital mutilation (FGM) continues to be a major problem in Dadaab. The practice is illegal in Kenya, and so rather than be celebrated, it is 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. Parents that choose to leave their daughters uncircumcised face alienation from the community, 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 faced for not accepting 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.
There is some progress in the fight against FGM. Many community organizations, religious leaders and community elders have been vocal on the issue, emphasizing the un-Islamic and dangerous nature of the practice. Men are also beginning to be involved in the struggle. One community group, Men against FGM, is an example of the growing involvement of men. A major obstacle to those fighting FGM, however, is the frequent influxes of new refugees, often from rural Somalia. Upon arriving, 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. Women’s health in the camps is severely compromised. FGM has created 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.
Maternity wards in the camps are filled beyond capacity. At the IRC hospital, women were laying 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 cesarean section during delivery, which is becoming increasingly warranted 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.
Gaps to Protect Women’s Health. Lack of sanitary pads was another commonly identified problem by women and girls. 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. CARE is advocating for disposable pads, especially for younger girls, so that they do not miss school due to menstruation.
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 a Dagahaley camp noted that there were only eleven community counselors serving the entire Dagahaley camp. Many women come in due to violent rape cases. Further, a UNCHR 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.
Girls’ Lack of Education. The education system in the Dadaab camps is very weak, but nevertheless highly valued by the refugee community. As of July 2009, approximately half of 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.
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. 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 being young children, they are expected to face even greater strain.
Despite the overall difficult situation for students in Dadaab, female students have it particularly hard. Due to Somali cultural and family structure, 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 chores, 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.
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. They also face discouragement from community members who consider sports to be immodest and an activity meant solely for boys.
Improvements and Recommendations. 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, including as headmasters and within community-based organizations. Many self-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 women are also more economically empowered than men, and serve as the backbone of the family. Women continue to demonstrate their strength and resilience, despite the violence and vulnerability they face.
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.
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