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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.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

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. 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. They are more susceptible to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are likely to face difficulties in exercising rights to housing, land and property, and are often excluded from decision-making processes. These human rights violations are compounded by conflict, which exacerbates pre-crisis patterns of discrimination. Age, group affiliation (e.g. membership in minority groups), disability, civil status, socioeconomic status and displacement itself can place particular groups of internally displaced women at heightened risk. For example, indigenous or elderly women who are displaced may find themselves doubly disadvantaged. And the protection risks that displaced women face depend in large measure on the specific context in which they find themselves.

Women who have been recently displaced usually face different risks than those who have been displaced for twenty years and women living in camps usually have different needs than those living with host families. Internally displaced women face a range of protection issues on a daily basis. Most notably, sexual and gender-based violence is an unfortunate reality for many. Often without the protection of family and communities they had before displacement, internally displaced women can be vulnerable to rape, domestic violence, forced prostitution, trafficking and any number of other violent situations. Women who have lost their husbands to conflict, also face additional challenges and responsibilities as heads of households, and often have to rely on basic survival skills. The following stories bring to life some of their realities.

1.2 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. Thus, protection and assistance for internally displaced women may take different forms than protection and assistance for refugee women. It is in view of this that this research is embark on by the researcher to seek for avenues to ameliorate the protection challenges faced by internally displaced women and children in IDP camp in the state.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The study has two main objectives; the general objective and the specific objective, the general objective is to examine the protection issues faced by women and children in IDP camp, but the specific objectives are;

i) To examine the security challenge faced by women and children in IDP camp in Borno state.

ii) To examine the role of state and federal government in ensuring that women and children are not sexually abused in the camp.

iii) To examine the impact of civil society organization (CSO) and humanitarian workers in curbing the rate of abused and violence faced by women and children in IDP camp.

iv) To ascertain if there is any relationship between insecurity and women and children violation in IDP camps.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;

i) Are they security challenge faced by women and children in IDP camp in Borno state?

ii) Does the state and federal government play any role in ensuring that women and children are not sexually abused in the camp?

iii) Does civil society organization (CSO) and humanitarian workers have any impact in curbing the rate of abused and violence faced by women and children in IDP camp?

iv) Is there any significant any relationship between insecurity and women and children violation in IDP camps?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher in null and alternate form to aid the completion of the study;

H0: There is no significant relationship between insecurity and women and children violation in IDP camps

H1: There is a significant relationship between insecurity and women and children violation in IDP camps

H0: Civil society organization (CSO) and humanitarian workers does not have any impact in curbing the rate of abused and violence faced by women and children in IDP camp

H2: Civil society organization (CSO) and humanitarian workers does have an impact in curbing the rate of abused and violence faced by women and children in IDP camp

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the civil society organization and the humanitarian workers, as the findings of the study will help them collaborate with policy makers in the fight against child abused and sexual assault suffered by women and children in IDP camps in the state, the study will also be of great importance to policy makers as the findings of the study will help in policy formulation and implementation to ameliorate the rate of human right neglect and abused of people in IDP camps all over the country, the study will also be useful to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point to further studies. The study will also be of Importance to student, teachers, academia’s and the general public as the study will add to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter and also contribute to knowledge.

1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers the protection issues faced by women and children in IDP camps in Borno state, but in the course of the study, there were some factors that limited the scope of the study;

a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

c) Finance: the finance at the disposal of the researcher is a major constrain to the scope of the study, as the researcher could not cover more grounds and government business enterprise in different location of the state.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

IDP: An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country’s borders.

Refugee: A refugee, generally speaking, is a displaced person who has been forced to cross national boundaries and who cannot return home safely (for more detail see legal definition).

Child Protection issue: Child Protection Issues Child abuse (maltreatment) is a non-accidental, violent psychic and/or physical interference or neglect of children by parents/legal guardians or third parties that harms children, hurts them, represses their development or puts them to death

Women Protection: Women’s Protection from domestic violence and sexual assault, to isolation and economic exclusion that leads to sexual exploitation, violence against women and girls has critical repercussions for individuals, families, communities and countries as a whole.

1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (background of the study), statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope of the study etc. Chapter two being the review of the related literature presents the theoretical framework, conceptual framework and other areas concerning the subject matter. Chapter three is a research methodology covers deals on the research design and methods adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

Reference

Alobo, E. & Obaji, S. (2016). Internal Displacement in Nigeria and the Case for Human Rights Protection of Displaced Persons. Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization, Vol.51. 2016.

Azam, J.P. (2009). Betting on Displacement: Oil, violence, and the Switch to Civilian Rule in Nigeria.

Bookings Institution (2005). University of Bern Project on International Displacement: Addressing Internal Displacement: A Framework for National Responsibility.

Deng, F.M. (1994). Internally Displaced Persons: An interim report of the UN Secretary General on protection and Assistance, New York: Un Dept. for Humanitarian Affairs, Washington, D.C., U.S.A,

Falobi, F. (2014). Nigeria: Coping with challenges of internally displaced persons. Allafrica. Available from: www.m.allafrica.com [Accessed 15 August, 2014.]

Ladam, M.T (2001). Introduction to International Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws, A.B.U Press, Zaria.

Ocha, T. (2003). Guiding Principles on Internally Displacement, 2nd ed., UN., New York, USA

Oduwole, T.A & Adebayo, F. (2013). Issues of refugees and displaced persons in Nigeria. Journal of Sociological Research, 4(1), 117

Oduwole, T.A & Fadeyi, A.O. (2013). Issues of Refugees and Displaced Persons in Nigeria.Journal of Sociological Research 4 (1) 1-18.

U.N, (2004).Guiding Principles on Internally Displacement, 2nd (ed) UN, New York, USA.

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