View on Martissant, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
A Hidden Shame: Sexual Violence in Haiti
Sexual violence in Haiti is a true problem. Women are consistently made victims of sexual violence and they have little or no recourse either through their family or the law. Rapes, domestic violence are an accepted fact of life in the country and especially in the slums. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) offers psychological treatment and medical diagnoses to help treat the victims wounds. The massive destruction of the earthquake has also lead to further dislocation and insecurity and abuse of women. The shame of this type of violence leads many women to hide and deal with the pain in isolation, but luckily some brave women stepped forward to tell their stories. These stories include women who have been victimized in front of their children, on the street and in their homes. There truly is no safe place for many women and this constant feeling of insecurity pervades many women’s existence with whom we talked.