Le Nigeria vient d’enregistrer 745 nouveaux cas de Covid-19 en 24h, la plus importante progression de la maladie depuis son apparition dans le pays. 745 nouveaux cas de personne infectées par la maladie du Coronavirus en 24 heure, portant le total des cas confirmés à 18 480 pour 6 307 guérisons et 475 décès, c’est […]
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Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Courtesy: Pramila Patten
By Samira Sadeque
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 19 2020 (IPS)
While the coronavirus does not discriminate, its impact does. And the needs of survivors of sexual violence in conflict “cannot be put on pause, and neither can the response” during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Jun. 19 marks the sixth annual International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. This year, the day focuses on the COVID-19 impact on survivors of sexual violence and to ensure that neither them nor their access to care is forgotten, Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, told IPS.
Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Global Justice Centre, said that COVID-19 has been disproportionately affecting women, with higher risks of domestic violence, and difficulty in accessing assistance.
“All of these risks are amplified in conflict settings, resulting in very real concerns over delayed access to care and legal processes,” she said.
She said countries must go beyond paper commitments and take concrete steps to end impunity for these crimes, and provide meaningful support to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
“This crime is preventable, we just need the political and moral will to make it so,” she said.
The day, which is being observed ahead of next month’s debate on conflict-related sexual violence at the Security Council, aims to raise awareness about sexual violence in conflict, which is often used as a tactic of war, terror and political repression.
Patten told IPS that in the last two years, their work on the rights of children born of rape in conflict zones led to a Security Council resolution that highlighted the importance of “survivor-centred approach” in addressing the issue.
Excerpts of the interview with Patten follow. Some of the answers have been paraphrased for clarity.
Inter Press Service (IPS): How many people are annually affected by the issue of sexual violence in conflict? Are there specific countries where the issue is especially rampant?
Pramila Patten (PP): It is indeed difficult to ascertain the exact prevalence owing to a range of challenges, including underreporting resulting from the intimidation and stigmatisation of survivors, as well as restrictions on access for United Nations staff. Unfortunately, most survivors of CRSV face daunting social and structural reporting barriers that prevent their cases from being counted, much less addressed. It is estimated that for each rape reported in connection with a conflict, 10 to 20 cases go undocumented.
The Secretary-General’s report on CRSV currently focuses on 19 countries for which credible and verifiable information is available. Some examples where CRSV remains rampant are the [Central African Republic] CAR, the [Democratic Republic of the Congo] DRC, South Sudan, Sudan and Somalia.
IPS: How are these specific regions equipped to handle the coronavirus crisis’ impact on this issue?
PP: No country is really “equipped” to address CRSV at this time of the pandemic. All conflict countries have just one priority: to tackle the spread of COVID-19. U.N. entities are all supporting countries through this emergency, with their main focus on supporting countries in their COVID-19 preparedness. When it comes to supporting my mandate, they are also facing their own challenges as resources are having to be diverted to the COVID-19 response.
Additionally, in a number of my priority countries, suspension of programmes of different U.N. entities has resulted in essential gender-based violence service providers being unable to deliver services during the period of lockdown. In others, COVID-19 prevention guidelines are having other unintended effects such as the limitations in movement of Women Protection Advisors and human rights monitors or reduced patrols and restricted face-to-face interaction with local communities.
IPS: What are the most crucial needs that have to be addressed because of COVID-19’s impact on sexual violence in conflict?
PP: Since I took office, I have been advocating for a survivor-centred approach to CRSV — one that seeks to empower the survivor by prioritising her rights, needs and wishes. Survivors of sexual violence needs a range of comprehensive services: from medical to psychosocial and legal support. Because victims of sexual violence are often rejected by their families and communities, economic support is essential in the rehabilitation process.
However, one of the crucial needs of survivors is unimpeded and timely access to medical services. In particular, after rape, some interventions will only be effective in the hours (e.g. treatment of injuries) or few days (e.g. HIV prophylaxis, emergency contraception) after the assault.
IPS: How has the pandemic affected addressing the issue of sexual violence in conflict?
PP: Firstly, the pandemic is having an impact on the reporting of cases. In addition to shame, stigma, and fear of repercussions, now cases are going unreported because of quarantines, curfews and other restrictions on movement, including limited access to first responders and civil society organisations such as women’s groups who often serve as first points of call, as well as fear of contracting COVID-19.
Secondly, there is an increased burden on health services due to the pandemic, with resources being prioritised for COVID-19. Contraction of routine health services means barriers to service provision for victims of sexual violence, including reduced supply of essential services, and access to sexual and reproductive health.
Referral pathways have also changed with the closures of shelters and women-friendly spaces in certain settings. In some settings where the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a militarisation of the health system, negative effects for women and children have also been noted.
Thirdly, we are noting an impact on the rule of law and accountability. With the lockdown on judges, justice workers, prosecutors and lawyers, COVID-19 is severely affecting the functioning and effectiveness of justice systems. The lack of access to justice opens doors to a context favourable to impunity. Combatting impunity for sexual violence is a fundamental aspect of deterring and preventing such crimes.
IPS: What are the challenges for this support system becoming remote?
PP: The challenges are mainly in engaging with governments “remotely” in the implementation of the commitments they have undertaken through the signing of Joint Communique with the U.N. on the prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence.
On the one hand, their attention and resources are focused on COVID-19. On the other hand, a number of implementation plans that needed to be prepared – for example, in Mali, CAR, DRC, and Sudan, with the technical support of my office, have been stalled on account of closure of borders. A range of technical support which my office was scheduled to provide to a number of countries – from Iraq to Somalia, and which requires in country visits, have also been impacted negatively.
However, with an advocacy mandate instead of a programmatic mandate, I am not so significantly hampered in providing coherent and strategic leadership. Even remotely, I am able to make progress.
IPS: What do you hope for this Day to achieve in the future?
PP: This day is an opportunity for me to be the voice of these numerous invisible and voiceless survivors and to make critical recommendations such as the need for: all parties in conflict to immediately cease all forms of sexual violence, sexual and gender-based violence response services to be designated as essential services in order to prevent their de-prioritisation and defunding, and efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence must be integrated into national COVID-19 response plans.
The post Q&A: Sexual Violence Survivors and their Access to Care Should not Be Forgotten appeared first on Inter Press Service.
Excerpt:
In marking the sixth annual International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, experts reiterated how crucial it is to keep accessible services to survivors, as they are being affected in complex ways due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The post Q&A: Sexual Violence Survivors and their Access to Care Should not Be Forgotten appeared first on Inter Press Service.
Coconut farmers in Mafia Island, Tanzania, rely solely on donkeys as the mode of transporting their products from farms to markets. Credit: Alexander Makotta/IPS
By Alexander Makotta
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Jun 19 2020 (IPS)
As she says goodbye to a group of her friends, Esther Ishabakaki asks whether any of them knows a good tailor who might be interested in joining her newly-opened clothing business. It’s a venture she started three months ago after quitting her farming venture.
Setting up a greenhouse in Tanzania’s commercial city, Dar es Salaam, Ishabakaki started by attempting to grow tomatoes. But a series of challenges chipped away at her passion and dreams for a horticulture business.
“I had invested a lot in that business: money, time, even emotion. But when you fall at every hurdle, it reaches a point where you just give up. I concluded I better quit and trial a different business,” 35-year-old Ishabakaki tells IPS.
Inexperience in greenhouse farming was a challenge when Ishabakaki started farming tomatoes. But while her skills improved as time went by, it was the post-harvest losses that she says she was unable to control.
After harvesting perfectly fine produce, Ishabakaki, like many millions of farmers, faced the gauntlet of preserving the quality and quantity of her crops before they reached the consumer.
Increasing domestic food demand and a rising unemployment rate are just some of the factors pushing governments across the continent to try and strengthen the agriculture sector, and Tanzania is no exception.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), for instance, says youth unemployment in Tanzania currently stands at 11 percent.
Unfortunately, Ishabakaki’s experience with post-harvest losses is not unique. Experts say it resonates with many youth and farmers at large in the country, and could be driving new entrants to quit the market.
“The problem of post-harvest losses in the agriculture sector is huge,” Adella Ng’atigwa, a researcher and agricultural economist at the Ministry of Agriculture, tells IPS. As a research fellow of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ng’atigwa is currently working on a policy brief that documents post-harvest losses the reasons for this, as well as outlining the obstacles that prevent the youth from participating in Tanzania’s agricultural sector.
She notes that some crops are more affected than others – cabbage farmers often report losses of up to 60 percent of their produce.
“Farmers in Njombe, in the southern highlands of Tanzania, told me that poor demand is a major cause of produce loss in the area. But I also noticed that poor handling of crops and lack of agronomic practices also contributes to this problem,” says Ng’atigwa.
She also pointed out that poor transportation and storage facilities and low quality packaging contributes to the problem.
But Ng’atigwa is hopeful that cooperation between the government and private sector could help resolve the problem.
“Public Private Partnership could invest in infrastructure development, like construction of pack houses and investment in agro-processing.
“This approach could be used to increase the frequency of youth training and awareness and the creation of horticultural Post-harvest Management innovations through extension officers,” she says.
In addition, Ng’atigwa says the government could lower taxes on post-harvest management initiatives, making their services more affordable and accessible to farmers.
Traders sell vegetable produce at the Darajani market in Zanzibar. According to research, certain produce such as cabbage and tomatoes are more prone to post-harvest losses than others. Credit: Alexander Makotta/IPS
The IITA, a non-profit that works with partners in Africa to enhance crop quality and productivity, is working to fill some of the gaps with regards to the challenges still facing the agriculture sector.
Through its youth programme, IITA says it helps young people turn their challenges into opportunities to create jobs for themselves and others.
The programme works from farm to fork, starting with seed sowing, through to marketing and all the way to processing the product for consumption.
“We have an incubation programme, where we train people to acquire skills for agribusiness, skills for entrepreneurial development, skills for management of different technical skills and then we prepare them to become businesspeople in agriculture,” Dr. Victor Manyong, IITA Director for Eastern Africa, tells IPS.
Manyong believes there are plentiful opportunities in agriculture for youth to make money; for example by increasing production at the farm level.
He confirms young people are keen to take on these opportunities, but often need help along the way.
“They need technical skills, they need entrepreneurial skills, they need business skills. We have interacted with young people who want to do business but they don’t even know how to develop a business plan. There are young people with good ideas but they can’t develop them because they don’t have capital,” he says.
Other agricultural experts agree with Manyong that there are many opportunities in the agricultural sector for young people, but warn that there must be a holistic investment in youth to help them seize these opportunities.
Revokatus Kimario, Executive Director at Sokoine University Graduate Entrepreneurs Cooperative, which prepares, enables, and supports innovative, knowledge-intensive agriculture entrepreneurs, believes the best place to start is with young people’s mindset.
“We have to change people’s mindset right from a young age, to embrace agriculture as a business just like any other business.
“Apart from that we have to employ the use of technology in this sector, not only to appeal to young people but also to increase efficiency in production,” Kimario tells IPS.
Regarding post-harvest losses, which continues to discourage young people like Ishabakaki, Kimario says the solution could be the market.
He says young farmers need to be trained to respond to the market demand with the type and volume of crops they grow.
“The market has to tell you what to produce, at what quantity, quality and time. If you are producing tomatoes for instance, you will know whether your market wants fresh or processed ones.”
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