The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

family planning, safe motherhood and emergency obstetrics, the prevention <strong>of</strong>
and response to gender-based violence, and the prevention and treatment <strong>of</strong>
STIs, including HIV/AIDS.
Women play key roles in economic, social and family life, and are most
affected by reproductive health problems. Women already have compromised
health and social indicators, and the added stresses and experiences <strong>of</strong> forced
migration can result in poorer health outcomes. <strong>The</strong>se stresses can include
subjection to sexual violence, abuse, trauma, harassment, starvation, poor water
and shelter, chronic illness, loss <strong>of</strong> family and possessions, and death, among
others. Investing in women’s reproductive health has positive effects on entire
communities, as women are <strong>of</strong>ten the sole caretakers for extended families,
including children and elders.
Young people are persistently underserved within refugee populations,
although they endure pr<strong>of</strong>ound losses at a crucial developmental stage. Young
women are at special risk during forced migration from abduction, forced
recruitment into armed forces, sexual violence and abuse and increased risk <strong>of</strong>
STIs and HIV/AIDS. With strains on family systems, many must head
households and care for family members. To ensure project successes for this
dynamic group, adolescent involvement in planning and implementing
rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes is essential.
Male involvement is essential to improve women’s status and
empowerment, as well as to improve men’s health in its own right. Many men
are interested in making positive changes towards women’s empowerment, and
more methods must be investigated and implemented to this end. Men and boys
are vulnerable to sexual violence during conflict, although little is known about its
incidence. Unique challenges arise when considering male involvement and
must be considered for programme implementation in conflict settings. First,
male integration can be difficult in conflict situations due to the entrenchment <strong>of</strong>
traditional male values during displacement, especially when communities fear
their cultural values will erode. Second, the presence and impact <strong>of</strong> armed
forces and military groups also negatively affect the reproductive health <strong>of</strong> both
host and refugee communities. Both are complex issues that must be addressed
with care.
<strong>Conflict</strong> situations are never identical, since displacement length varies
from short-term emergencies to long-term development settings. Refugees may
live in large camps or be “integrated” into urban or rural settings. Reproductive
health services must be flexible and adaptable to varied circumstances.
Reproductive health in conflict settings is highly politicized. Displaced
communities can feel that they are targets <strong>of</strong> programmes for ethnic reasons.
Host populations can feel resentful <strong>of</strong> refugees who are seen as receiving better
services than they are. In the international community, some agencies and
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