Haiti: Sheltering young girls’ futures amid gender-based violence

By Veronique Durroux

A shelter in Artibonite, a department in Haiti marred by rising levels of gender-based violence, is now a beacon of hope for survivors.  

Artibonite has the second-highest number of people in humanitarian need after the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, according to the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan. 

“I feel good here,” says 17-year-old Elina,* who arrived at this shelter a month ago. The facility, nestled on a quiet street in a northern town of Haiti’s Artibonite department, is a haven for vulnerable women, girls and survivors of sexual violence. It currently houses seven minors, including Elina, who receive medical, psychological and legal support on site.  

For Elina, it is now her refuge after she was sexually assaulted by a relative. But she prefers to talk about her hopes and dreams rather than the circumstances that brought her to the centre. 

"I’m continuing my studies; I hope to become a doctor one day," she says. 

But she also confesses that she misses the music classes she used to attend.   

Madeline,* another teenage survivor at the shelter, is less communicative but shares a similar longing. With a furrowed brow, she repeatedly expresses her desire to return to her classes at school, which were disrupted by a recent attack. For Madeline, school represents the routine and normalcy essential at her young age. 

Madam Nalda is the dynamic Director of Association Femme Action (AFAGM), the NGO that runs the shelter. She is trying to enrol Madeline in a nearby school. The shelter opens its doors to survivors and to pregnant women in vulnerable situations from remote areas. 

A lack of law enforcement in some areas and the presence of armed groups have contributed to the alarming rise in gender-based violence throughout Haiti, including in Lower Artibonite. Incidents of rape and sexual exploitation have increased in the last two years, with about 165 cases of sexual violence reported between January and March 2024. Faced with this critical situation, local women's organizations are scaling up their efforts to assist survivors.  

AFAGM’s staff consists mainly of volunteers, who rely on donations for the centre’s operations while covering their own travel expenses. These dedicated volunteers are themselves often scarred by the severity of the cases they encounter. 

"We received an 8-year-old girl who was a sexual abuse survivor... Can you imagine?" says Arielle,* a nurse who handles the intake of newcomers. "We do everything in our power to care for them, to encourage them. But seeing such severe cases firsthand is hard. Sometimes I wonder if I need psychological help myself."  

Arielle also explains the need for a recreation room for residents to relax and bond with each other, underlining the importance of initiatives the centre wants to develop to boost residents’ confidence and independence when they leave. 

The centre quickly earned a credible reputation, and it now receives women and girls from all over the department, including Lower Artibonite.  

"It's a reference centre, where even the authorities send difficult cases because they know the women and girls will be well treated," explains Marie Murielle Morné, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Gender-Based Violence Coordinator for the entire department. 

With funding from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2023, UNFPA rehabilitated the AFAGM shelter and other centres, such as those run by NGOs Femmes du Bas-Artibonite and Plateforme des Femmes de Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye. Local actors are the first responders in gender-based violence cases in Haiti. 

These improvements brought the facilities up to the required standards and improved access to essential case management and information services on gender-based violence. UNFPA also provided the centre with materials and equipment, such as dignity kits and the installation of a solar energy system. Additionally, about 528 vulnerable women supported by AFAGM, the Ministry for Women's Affairs and Women's Rights, and other Artibonite women's groups have received emergency cash assistance to cover basic needs, such as health care and clothing, reducing their need to resort to negative survival strategies. 

However, the road ahead is fraught with challenges, as operating expenses mount and the country’s humanitarian situation deteriorates.

"We need to find more funds," says Madam Nalda. "Have you seen how these young girls still have projects and dreams? We have no choice but to continue our work." 

*Names have been changed.