Q&A: A new fund for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence

On Monday, a fledgling global fund for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, or CRSV, released a study, setting out how the international community can respond when states dodge their responsibility to provide reparations. Launched in 2019, the Global Survivors Fund aims to provide access to financial and other survivor-centered programs, advocating for governments to act, and providing technical assistance to those that do. The fund is set up as a Swiss foundation with an eight-person secretariat based in Geneva. The governments of South Korea, France, Japan, and the U.K. sit on the board, thanks to contributions of €2 million ($2.32 million) per year for three years, while Belgium, Norway, and the European Union have also contributed funding. “Where we really want to focus is providing something that will ... regain survivors not just [their] dignity, but [also their] ability to re-integrate into the community.” --— Maya Shah, director of operations, Global Survivors Fund The fund has already disbursed $1,000 to 158 survivors in Guinea, is active in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq, and is opening in the Central African Republic. It is now looking for where it should head next. This week’s webinar and preliminary report, based on consultations with survivors in 16 countries, such as Burundi, Nepal, and Ukraine, found that in most countries there is no access to reparations and even where these have been ordered, there is a “colossal” implementation gap. “Responsibility for reparations lies squarely with States, who are duty-bound to ensuring that survivors are provided reparations, but the reality is that in many cases, the State is reneging on that responsibility and is unwilling or unable to provide the necessary reparative measures,” the study found. “Where this is the case, alternatives must be found. It is not acceptable that access to meaningful reparations be determined solely by whether or not the State in which CRSV occurs chooses to do something about it.” The study proposes two actions: working with civil society on advocacy aimed at making governments meet their obligations, and providing “interim reparative measures.” The fund explains such measures can take the form of “financial compensation, livelihoods, coverage of education costs, medical bills and other needs as determined by survivors” as well as symbolic measures such as commemoration initiatives. A larger Global Reparations Study is due for release next year to assess survivors’ access to state-led reparations programs and other interim measures worldwide. Devex spoke with Maya Shah, the fund’s director of operations, to learn more. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Why does this fund exist? Dr. Denis Mukwege, who is one of the founders of the fund, was seeing patients in his hospital in DRC and treating them medically, and afterwards they created a one-stop-shop where they could have legal and psychosocial health as well. But more and more, they were seeing that this was not providing full reparations. It was addressing medical and psychosocial needs, but not re-integration into communities. Through the Mukwege Foundation, the SEMA network was created — a network of survivors of over 20 countries that come together once a year. And when they were asked, “What do reparations mean for you? What do you really want?” they came up with this idea of a fund because they said: “We are not receiving reparations from governments or duty bearers, perpetrators. And what we need most right now to re-integrate and [for our] dignity is some form of compensation.” And they came up with this idea of the fund. So, it's really filling an implementation gap where states are unable or unwilling to provide reparations. Where we really want to focus is providing something that will be very long-lasting but that will also regain survivors not just [their] dignity, but [also their] ability to re-integrate into the community. Victims of conflict-related sexual violence are the ones that are the most vulnerable, that are often completely ostracized out of the community, stigmatized because of what's happened to them, and really have no means to regain the loss of their dignity. Some people hear the word “reparations” and they think about money. Reparations are not just money. One of the greatest things that survivors talk about is the simple fact of being acknowledged and recognized first of all as a survivor of conflict-related sexual violence. That somebody says “you are not to blame; we recognize what has happened to you,” without having to go through the judicial reparations to report, etc. The second aspect we're looking at is a lot on the compensation factor, and that's providing a financial reparation. One of the most important things that survivors ask for is this financial compensation. There’s financial compensation and education for children that are born out of a rape — because often their husbands leave them, and they have no means of livelihood, and then they're completely ostracized out of the community and therefore cannot provide for their family and their children. We work with survivors and ask them, “What is the financial compensation, that would be enough for you to really start and do something with it?” And then with that, there is a whole business plan training. The financial compensation is given to them, not as a one-lump sum, but it's given to them over a period of time, accompanied by this training so that they can really start a business and then bring themselves out of this stigmatization. Then they are able to earn or regain their livelihood and then be re-integrated into their community. How much financial assistance are you able to provide and for how many people? We never come in and say “This is the amount you should have.” What happens is we discuss with survivors, “What do reparations mean to you? What would be an amount that would significantly make a difference in your life, not something that's just going to keep you ticking over?” In the case of Guinea, it was $1,000 per survivor, and it was 158 survivors in the end that were identified. … The money was given in three tranches. One woman wanted to buy a boat to be able to fish; another woman wanted to start a soap-making business; another woman wanted a sewing business. So, it's really talking to them, designing with them, asking them really what they want to do, and how they want to put it in place. How are victims identified? Guinea was relatively easy because it happened in the stadium at a particular time, there were survivor networks, but in general, the identification process in our projects is the biggest process. The identification process is really working with local survivor networks where they exist, so they often know who the survivors are or survivors belong to these networks. And then it's through a multistakeholder approach: working with civil society organizations that know survivors, survivor networks, medical organizations that are operating, sometimes humanitarians that have seen survivors. And then the identification process is really going into the communities, having focus group discussions, community leaders. … In the case of DRC it's the social, psychosocial assistance within the communities that know survivors, discussing with them, and then having focus group discussions with survivors themselves if they want to come forward. Where are you thinking of going next? Countries that are definitely on our radar right now are South Sudan, Nepal, Guatemala, [and] Nigeria. These are the next countries that we are wanting to focus on. You seem to be tackling an enormous problem with relatively few resources for now. We clearly cannot claim to address the huge needs and all the needs. What we would like is the states and perpetrators responsible also to take their responsibility. And I think there's really a role for the international community as well in advocating for this, for states and perpetrators themselves to provide these national reparation funds. But also then for them to fund this global survivors fund if, as you say, the needs are so huge.