Violence and abuse of internally displaced women survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake

Abstract

Objectives Limited research following disasters suggests that internally displaced women are disproportionately vulnerable to violence and abuse. An interdisciplinary collaborative of researchers and practitioners in Haiti, the US Virgin Islands, and the US Mainland investigated gender-based violence (GBV) pre- and post-earthquake and health outcomes among Haitian women living in tent cities/camps following the 2010 earthquake. Methods A comparative descriptive correlational design using culturally sensitive and language appropriate computer-assisted interviews of 208 internally displaced women 2011–2013. Results Found high rates of violence and abuse both before (71.2 %) and after (75 %) p = 0.266, the earthquake primarily perpetrated by boy friends or husbands. Significantly more mental and physical health problems were reported by abused than non-abused women. The majority (60–78 %) of abused women did not report personal or community tolerance for violence and abuse, but acknowledged a community context of limited involvement. Conclusions Coordinated planning and implementation of needed interventions are essential to provide a balanced approach to the care of displaced women after natural disasters with sensitivity to the abusive experiences of many women both before and after the disasters.

Experiences of rural women with damages resulting from an earthquake in Iran: a qualitative study

“…Chan et al (2011) reported that family violence such as physical and psychological violence against women was increased as a result of earthquakes [24]. Also, the results of a study done by Campbell et al (2016) revealed that violence against women was increased after the occurrence of earthquakes [23]. Research also has shown that women's satisfaction with their sexual lives is dramatically decreased [25].…”

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“…In fact, Haitian women reported heightened vulnerability to intimate partner violence due to increased poverty and reduced community networks. The majority of abused women did not report personal or community tolerance for violence and abuse, but acknowledged a community context of limited involvement (Campbell et al, 2016; Logie & Daniel, 2016). On the subject of “human trafficking,” there are a large number of vulnerable children in Haiti and the country’s particular historical context has led to a unique phenomenon known as the restavèk system.…”

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