The Forgotten Victims
Displaced Women Deserve Access to Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
By Rachael Bailey
As the world grapples with the ongoing refugee crisis, the needs of women and girls who are displaced from their homes are oftentimes overlooked. While there are several non-profit organizations that focus on providing sexual and reproductive health services to displaced populations, including Women's Refugee Commission and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), it is clear that many significant gaps remain in the provision of essential services by humanitarian aid.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), more than 103 million people globally are refugees or forcibly displaced today. The majority are women and children who face a lack of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, furthermore, putting their health and well-being at risk. Risks that are heighted during humanitarian crises include unintended pregnancy, transactional sex, trafficking, exploitation, child marriage, sexually transmitted infections, sexual violence, and unsafe abortions. These displaced populations are also at a higher risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV where, according to UNAIDS, the global prevalence of HIV among refugees is estimated to be three times higher than in the general population. Without access to timely sexual and reproductive healthcare, women and girls may face serious complications, including maternal mortality and morbidity, alongside many other reproductive health consequences.
Despite these challenges, many displaced women and girls continuously face significant barriers to accessing the healthcare they need. In many cases, humanitarian aid often focuses on basic needs such as food, shelter, and water, resulting in the neglect of other essential aspects of health. This perception that sexual and reproductive healthcare for displaced populations is not a “life-saving intervention” essentially devalues the lives and bodies of women and girls throughout our global community. Public health leaders around the world have an obligation to advocate for the human rights of displaced populations, including the marginalized community of women and girls. It is our responsibility to promote the health and well-being of all individuals, including those who are most vulnerable.
Sexual and reproductive healthcare is often considered a sensitive and taboo topic in many cultures. Providing effective sexual and reproductive healthcare therefore requires an understanding of the cultural, linguistic, and social contexts in which these services are delivered. This could involve increased specialized knowledge and skills by practitioners as well as immediate funding by donors that targets the necessary infrastructure, medical facilities, and specific needs of displaced populations. Moreover, displaced women and girls must have greater access to accurate information about their sexual and reproductive health, including information about contraception, family planning, sexually transmitted infections, and the risks associated with unsafe abortions. To ensure the most culturally competent care, public health officials and humanitarian aid programs must engage with global communities, particularly women and girls, when designing and implementing sexual and reproductive healthcare interventions.
We cannot afford to ignore the healthcare needs of displaced women and girls. Ensuring the provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare for displaced populations is not just a moral imperative, but it is also a legal obligation. The United Nations has declared women's rights to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, as a fundamental human right. Since the founding of humanitarian health, it has been our duty to alleviate suffering by standing on the principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality. In order to fulfill these principles, sexual and reproductive health services must be integrated alongside the traditional scope of humanitarian interventions.
Rachael Bailey is a MPH candidate in Maternal and Child Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University. She obtained her BA in both Global & International Studies and Women's & Gender Studies, with Minors in Epidemiology & Global Public Health and Environment & Health from Michigan State University. She works as a Global Health Research Assistant for the Usher Institute through The University of Edinburgh and as an intern for the Foreign Service Institute at the U.S. Department of State. Her research passions revolve around promoting health equity and accessibility for women worldwide, with a particular emphasis on ethics, challenging Western-centric approaches to healthcare, and decolonization within the field of public health.