Researchers, Gender Ministry partner to Tackle Violence Against Children in Refugee Settlements

A consortium of researchers, in collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), the Office of the Prime Minister’s Department of Refugees, Baobab RPC, and the Africa Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), has launched evidence-based initiatives to address violence against children in refugee settings.

This effort comes in response to the 2022 Violence Against Children Survey (VACS), the first of its kind in humanitarian settings, which revealed high levels of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse among children in Uganda’s refugee settlements. These forms of violence severely impact children’s physical and mental health, as well as their education.

Dr. Bonny Wandera, a researcher at APHRC, highlighted that the initiative aims to encourage survivors of sexual violence to speak out, foster open discussions about abuse, and challenge social norms that perpetuate violence against children.

“Many children are hesitant to seek help, even when they understand the harm they face. To combat this, we have trained parasocial workers who are integrated into refugee communities to identify cases of sexual violence and provide support,” Dr. Wandera explained.

The VACS survey, conducted between March and April 2022, covered youth aged 13 to 24 across 13 refugee settlements in Uganda. The findings were alarming:

• Nearly half of young adults (aged 18-24) had experienced sexual, physical, or emotional violence before turning 18.
• A significant proportion of adolescents (32% of females and 40% of males aged 13-17) faced violence in the past year.
• Most incidents of sexual violence occurred after children arrived in the refugee settlements, with 73% of girls and 53% of boys experiencing their first abuse post-arrival.
• Sexual violence led to school absenteeism, with 26% of girls and 58% of boys (aged 13-17) missing school due to these incidents.
• Mental health struggles were more prevalent among those who experienced childhood violence.

Despite the widespread knowledge of where to seek help, very few survivors disclosed their experiences. Only 17% of males and 5% of females who experienced sexual violence sought assistance, and an even smaller percentage received the help they needed.

The full report, titled Violence Against Children and Youth in Humanitarian Settings: Findings from a 2022 Survey of all Refugee Settlements in Uganda, provides comprehensive insights into the issue.