Meeting Haitian Women's Specific Needs [View All]

[tekisui]

Source: change.org

Food, shelter, water and medical care -- these are critical, universal needs following any disaster. If they're not provided, a humanitarian crisis ensues. Right now, relief workers are struggling to provide aid to the people of Haiti, and the situation remains dire for everyone. But women and children are particularly vulnerable after disasters, and they have distinct needs that must be addressed.

As women's rights group MADRE points out, "Women are often the hardest hit when disaster strikes because they were at a deficit even before the catastrophe." Haiti is the poorest country and has the highest rate of both infant and maternal mortality in the Western hemisphere. The UNFPA reports that seven out of ten women in Haiti have experienced violence, and that 37% of those incidents were sexual. According to a 2008 Amnesty International report, "Haiti is also gripped by shocking levels of violence against girls."

In this time of heightened stress, lawlessness, and homelessness, women and children face an increased threat of violence. Women will find it even harder to support themselves and the children, elderly, and infirm who are disproportionately in their care. Pregnant women and new mothers will be especially vulnerable; their access to reproductive health care will be even more limited in the wake of this disaster.

The Women's Refugee Commission has identified ten critical needs for those displaced by the earthquake in Haiti. Many of them address risks faced specifically or disproportionately by women and children.

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