PROPOSAL ON PROTECTION ISSUES FACED BY WOMEN AND CHILDREN; A CASE STUDY OF IDP CAMP IN BORNO STATE

Abstract

The study examine the protection issues faced by women and children in internally displaced persons  (IDP) camps in Borno state, Women account for around half of the world’s 33.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In addition to the many general human rights violations faced by all IDPs, displaced women are often at greater risk than other affected populations. They face loss of livelihoods and key documentation needed for daily life. They tend to have less access to assistance, and struggle to access adequate education, healthcare, training and livelihoods. It is in view of this that the researcher intend to achieve the general and specific objective of the study, which is to examine the security challenges faced by women and children in IDP camps, the researcher also formulate four research questions to help attain the research objectives,  the researcher adopt Human security analysis theory as the anchor theory for the study a survey research design was adopted for the study, the method of data analysis was the percentage and graphical representation. The study recommends that Government should also be more proactive in the reconstruction of destroyed houses of IDPs in their various communities so that they would have confidence to return home.

                                        INTRODUCTION  

During conflict, flight and displacement, women and children are at heightened risk. They are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Women and girls are often the systematic target of sexual violence, have special health needs that are often neglected and lack the protection formerly afforded by their families and communities. Children may be separated from those who care for them and put at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation and recruitment into armed forces. Their entire childhoods may be disrupted, with little access to education and few opportunities as they grow older to take on the usual roles and responsibilities of adulthood. While all these issues also affect refugees, research shows that internally displaced women and children usually fare even worse. Involuntary departure and the fact that the individual remains within his/her country are the two defining elements of an internally displaced person (IDP). The first element distinguishes IDPs from individuals who left their homes out of choice and could have otherwise safely remained where they lived. The second element explains why IDPs are not refugees. Refugees, by definition, are outside of their country of nationality or habitual residence. In other respects, however, both categories of displaced persons often face similar risks and deprivations. The definition mentions some of the main causes of internal displacement, including armed conflict, violence, violations of human rights and disasters. This is not an exhaustive list; the phrase “in particular” means that it does not exclude the possibility that other situations might meet the two key criteria of involuntary movement within one’s country. It is important to understand that the IDP definition is a descriptive definition rather than a legal definition. It simply describes the factual situation of a person being uprooted within his/her country of habitual residence. It does not confer a special legal status in the same way that recognition as a refugee does. This is not necessary for IDPs because, unlike refugees who require being formally recognized as such by the country of asylum or UNHCR under its mandate, IDPs remain entitled to all the rights and guarantees as citizens and other habitual residents of a particular State. The problem of displaced persons has in recent years become a global concern with its implications (Ladan, 2001). It is on record that the total number of displaced persons is currently estimated around fifty million worldwide, with the majority of these people in Africa and Asia (Olobo & Obaji, 2016). Displacement across the country in Nigeria is as a result of communal violence, internal armed conflicts and natural disasters such as flood. In any conflict situation and particularly those with ethnic or religious underpinnings, the humanitarian needs are immense and the means to satisfy those needs within the conflict area are severely limited. Internally displaced civilian populations move from one place to another seeking safety and protection inside their own country. Forced population movements resulting in mass exoduses constitute by their very nature infringements on international human rights and humanitarian law. In Nigeria, conflicts arising from the activities of Boko Haram in the North East and Fulani herdsmen have resulted in high threats to lives and properties, death of thousands displacements of millions of people. Contrary to the expectation of the world population, the new world order has been characterized by more unstable and turbulent conflict situations, unhealthy power politics, destructive ethnic insurgencies, national rivalries, religious bigotry, government hypocrisy and endemic poverty, manufactured by globalization. Women account for around half of the world’s 33.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In addition to the many general human rights violations faced by all IDPs, displaced women are often at greater risk than other affected populations.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Internally displaced women and children face a unique set of challenges, and thus deserve attention as their own group. Unlike refugee women who may register with UNHCR and receive assistance from a range of humanitarian actors, internally displaced women remain within the borders of their own country and thus their national government is responsible for protecting and assisting them. Women and children are also more exposed to violence gender based violence in particular and face discrimination on many fronts, including housing, land and property, livelihoods, documentation and education. Displaced women living in camps may have also experienced violence from camp administrators or humanitarian workers which aggravates their situations.

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