What Works for Women and Girls

EVIDENCEPromising Strategies:1. Voluntary counseling and testing can be successfully provided to internally displaced people.In Northern Uganda, a collaboration of an NGO, district government and the NationalGuidance and Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV, provided outreachcounseling and testing in IDP camps. A total of 1,182 people, of which 62.8% werefemales, were counseled, tested and received results in nine IDP camps. Individualswho tested positive were linked to hospitals for HIV/AIDS care while those who wereHIV-negative were educated on HIV prevention and linked to post-test clubs (Kanslimeet al., 2008). (Gray V) (counseling, HIV testing, IDP, Uganda)2. Public support campaigns for rape survivors may be effective in encouraging survivors totest for HIV and access services.Data collected between 2005 and 2007 from Malteser International, which has run amedico-social support program for rape survivors in South Kivu, Democratic Republicof Congo, registered 20,157 female rape survivors, but only a few sought medical careand psychological help, with less than 1% presenting for services before the 72 hourwindow when post-exposure prophylaxis can be safely used and effective. “Possiblereasons include insecurity in the area, fear of stigmatization and lacking awarenessabout the importance of receiving timely medical treatment” (p. 6). More than onethird of patients had been sexually violated one year or longer ago. The percentage ofwomen expelled from their homes after experiencing sexual violence fell from morethan 12% in 2005 to 6% in 2007. This may be due to the success of awareness-raisingcampaigns, which aimed to lower public stigmatization and discrimination against rapesurvivors. With four of ten rejected rape survivors, re-integration into the family faileddespite family mediation. However, between 2005 and 2007, those who had an HIVtest increased from less than 2% to 57% (Steiner et al., 2008). (Gray V) (rape, violence,post-exposure prophylaxis, Democratic Republic of Congo)Gaps in Programming—Women and Girls in Complex Emergencies1. Prevention, treatment and services are needed for refugees—including young people,particularly at the end of an armed conflict.2. Interventions are needed to increase the income-generating capacity of femalerefugees in order to counteract the need for survival and/or transactional sex.3. Interventions combating rape and sexual violence are urgently needed in refugee, IDPand conflict settings.WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS105