Barriers to Gender-Based Violence Survivors Seeking Access to Support in Humanitarian Settings in Tanzania. A Case of Nyarugusu, Nduta And Mtendeli Refugee Camp.

Gahaihi, Bonavitha Burchard (2023) Barriers to Gender-Based Violence Survivors Seeking Access to Support in Humanitarian Settings in Tanzania. A Case of Nyarugusu, Nduta And Mtendeli Refugee Camp. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

The study assessed the barriers to gender-based violence survivors seeking access to support with focus to Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli refugee camp. Specifically, the study accessed the availability of GBV support mechanism within and outside the refugee camp, accessibility of the available GBV support mechanism by GBV survivor within and outside the refugee camp and the key obstacles towards help-seeking by GBV survivors. Through a qualitative approach, data for this study were collected using document review, key informants’ interviews, and focus group discussion. The findings revealed that there are various places and institutions within and outside the refugee camps that provide services to the help-seekers in regard to GBV issues in the areas. Among others, there are knowledge centers, Positive parenting group, paralegals, gender and children desks, fit families, MTAKUWWA committees and CSOs. However, there were significant challenges uncovered hindering the access to support including: stigmatization by families and community members; a sense of being helpless over their situation; a fear/insecurity of future violence in both the camps and the host community; being denied access to GBV service premises by guards; confidentiality and corruption and limited knowledge of how to seek assistance from existing GBV services. The findings of this study led to the conclusion that refugee and host community GBV survivor (s) suffer the multidimensional ramifications of such perpetuated violence in the most personal way possible in terms of physical, psychological, and economic violence. Keywords: Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Help-Seeking Behaviour, Humanitarian Setting, Refugee and Gender-Based Violence Survivor.

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