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Communities don't deal with rape. The only thing they do is cover it up and heal the survivor's wounds |
Sexual violence against Darfur’s women continues in the camps where they are meant to be protected from those involved in the conflict and not enough is being done to assist them, says Sudanese aid worker Lemia Elhag.
Elhag spent a year working with the women of Darfur’s camps around Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. During this period she compiled research for her thesis interrogating the effect of sexual and gender-based violence against women in Darfur. Elhag completed her thesis last year as part of a master's degree course on peace and development studies at Khartoum 's Juba University . She believes that minimal participation of the Sudanese government in halting rape, cultural entrenchment and an unforgiving society keep mouths shut about rape and sexual violence against women in Darfur. She also reiterates that violence against women "happens across communities" in Darfur.
"It’s not about being Arab or African. The people of Darfur are all black. They have the same skin colour," she says especially in response to international media and aid agency messages that Darfur is about Arabs raping black Africans.
Is it a Weapon?
| During the conflict rape was used by government army and opposition forces as a "war tool" or tactic and it continues in Darfur 's camps. |
Violence against women also seem common in Darfur, according to Elhag’s experience.
"In Darfur, nobody reports wife beatings because it's normal. In this part of the country, even a father or brother has the authority to beat a woman. Worse is that women accept this as normal. You only find out about beatings at health centers when you check the reasons why women came to the clinics. A woman won't say that her husband beat her. But we know what's going on in the camps," says Elhag of the silence.
"Sometimes little children tell what happened. Female community leaders will also tell us what happened. And injuries show that the women were beaten."During the conflict, says Elhag, rape was used by government army and opposition forces as a "war tool" or tactic and it continues in Darfur 's camps.
"It’s a weapon, like mines and Kalashnikovs. It’s physical and psychological and is very effective as humiliation. Many of the displaced Darfuris saw their mothers, wives and sisters or even men raped. Or they saw their brothers killed in front of their eyes, just to humiliate them. To show that the enemy is best," says Elhag.
"Some women were lashed. Others were cut on their arms and legs and face. I saw a woman whose face was cut. And some women were tied so tight with ropes you can still see the scars on their bodies. Their husbands are also angered because they will never know who did this to their wives. Those who saw what happened couldn't react or they would all have lost their lives."
Elhag's research and insight reveals a rural Darfur that tramples womanhood in favor of male domination, setting a backdrop for ongoing violence against women in the region's IDP camps.
Subordinate Breadwinners
| The men drink alcohol all night. It's like food to them. Then they sleep all day. It's part of their culture. |
"In Darfur , women are subordinate, even though they're the breadwinners. Men sit at home like kings all day while women work on farms. They collect wild fruits, firewood and water. They also give their husbands any money that they have," says Elhag.
"Some men have four wives who do their best to make him feel content. Although the husband does nothing, he is the decision-maker. In rural Darfur you are not a man if you don't have more than two wives. The men drink alcohol all night. It's like food to them. Then they sleep all day. It's part of their culture."
Conflict between the Sudanese government and opposition forces has destabilized Darfur by destroying communities. Women suffer a double blow, says Elhag, adding that conservative social perceptions mean that women who have been raped fear exposure and isolation in a society where early marriage is common.
"Women are afraid to speak about rape because the rapist could be in the camp and he could kill her if she speaks. For a married woman, to say that she was raped, will mean that her husband will abandon her. Virginity is also a big issue in Sudan . Sex outside marriage is not allowed. It brings shame to your family," says Elhag.
"Nobody will marry you if you are an unmarried woman and you were raped. That’s why women keep these things secret. That’s why they don’t seek psychological support. Let us assume that a 17-year-old girl is raped. No man in the camp will marry her.
"She'll most likely get married to an old man who has many other wives. She could even become a prostitute as she gets to a point where she doesn't care. This leads to more exploitation as she needs money."
Rape being Acknowledged
| Conflict between the Sudanese government and opposition forces has destabilized Darfur by destroying communities. |
Unmarried women who fall pregnant after rape also face discrimination. These pregnancies could be prevented though if the Sudanese government made available the morning-after pill in clinics or health facilities, a common and immediate medical treatment after rape, and acknowledged the reality of sexual violence, says Elhag.
"If you were raped and went to a government health facility, you need to have Police Form 8 so that you can get healthcare. Police Form 8 is used for any persons involved in accidents and who need medical care. Without this form a doctor will refuse to touch you. But nobody wants to admit rape cases," says Elhag.
"When you go to the police they won't acknowledge your rape case either, so how do you get Police Form 8? There has been a lot of advocacy work to ensure treatment for women who have been raped. Women need to be able to go to clinics without having to get this form or facing discrimination. Women need treatment without having to get Form 8, even if it means that not getting this form means they lose the opportunity to bring their perpetrators to justice. It is at least better to get treatment than to depend on Form 8."
"The morning-after pill is essential for rape survivors but you won't find it at government hospitals. It's maybe available at clinics run by international aid agencies but the government doesn't trust these agencies so women can still go there for rape treatment. They prefer to go to international aid agencies where they can get medical and psychological support," says Elhag.
Rape perpetrators are also not brought to justice and this legitimizes their actions, she adds. "Rape is a public crime and the government must investigate the perpetrators but they don’t. So the situation continues. If it's reinforced that rape is a crime then violence against women will not happen. Communities don't deal with rape. The only thing they do is cover it up and heal the survivor's wounds."
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