COVID-19 has driven conflict-related sexual violence 'underground'

COVID-19 has made conflict-related sexual violence — especially in places such as Ethiopia’s Tigray region — harder to track, prevent, and address.

The pandemic has taken this already chronically underreported crime and “driven it underground,” according to Pramila Patten, the United Nations’ special representative on sexual violence in conflict.

“All the progress we’ve made over the years is being very much threatened by COVID-19,” she told Devex in an interview last week.

The pandemic has made reporting more difficult, as survivors lack access to avenues for it, and there are fewer front-line responders and services. In addition, lockdowns and quarantines have “created an environment of impunity” and a loss of accountability, Patten said.

“Conflict is compounded by this pandemic, which impacts very negatively on survivors of sexual violence, making women and girls a lot more vulnerable to sexual violence and impacting on reporting,” she said.

That is the case in Tigray, which has seen “disturbing reports” of “sexual atrocities,” including “brutal gang rape,” Patten said, describing them as “completely unimaginable.”

In Ethiopia, both Patten’s office and U.N. Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict — a growing network that includes nearly two dozen U.N. entities and is coordinated by her office — have worked to address the issue and engaged with government authorities from the beginning.

Typically, the U.N. — through Patten’s office — communicates with a government at its highest level and creates an agreement outlining a series of reforms for the country’s legal frameworks, justice sector, and security sector. The joint communiqué or agreement of cooperation also usually addresses the services that need to be provided to survivors. Once in place, the U.N. country teams support nations in implementing the agreements.

And while some discussion took place for such an agreement in Ethiopia, the process stalled with the country’s delayed and scrutinized election process.

Agencies in the U.N. network have stepped up services for survivors, but restricted access has made things difficult, Patten said. The situation is also likely to be further complicated by the Ethiopian government announcing the expulsion of seven senior U.N. officials Thursday.

Still, the network is working closely with UN Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, which are investigating human rights violations in Tigray. A report on their findings is expected Nov. 1 and will inform further action.

The pandemic has diverted resources, making it difficult for issues such as conflict-related sexual violence to get the funding they need. UN Action is raising additional funds and held a donor roundtable last month, where it shared progress and sought support, Patten said. The network takes a survivor-centered approach and promotes addressing root causes, along with improving coordination and a focus on prevention.

“It is not collateral damage. It is not an inevitable byproduct of war,” Patten said, adding that sexual violence is preventable.

In the months ahead, her office is aiming to address a significant policy gap: children born of rape. It will present a report on the subject to the U.N. Security Council before the end of the year and propose solutions.

Update, Oct. 1, 2021: This article has been updated with an altered headline to better reflect comments by Pramila Patten. A paragraph has also been removed due to security concerns.