Contact:
Mario Joseph, Av., Bureau des Avocats Internationaux, (in Haiti), mario@ijdh.org, +509‑3701-9879 (French, Creole, English)
Maria-Elena Kolovos, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (in Haiti), mariaelena@ijdh.org, +509‑4688-9968 (English)

Women’s Rights Groups and Cholera Victims Unite in Shared Struggle against UN Impunity in Haiti
On International Women’s Day 2012, human rights groups condemn MINUSTAH cholera and sexual violence

Monday, March 5, 2012, Port-au-Prince –To commemorate International Women’s Day 2012, on March 8, human rights groups will join cholera victims in a peaceful demonstration under the banner “Men and Women Together Demand Justice and Reparations for Victims of MINUSTAH Cholera and Rape.” With support from the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) Women’s Network, the Collective for Reparations for Cholera Victims, the Movement for Liberty and Equality of Haitians for Brotherhood (MOLEGHAF), and Batay Ouvriye, demonstrators will peacefully protest against the cholera and sexual violence that the UN and its peacekeeping mission, MINUSTAH, have inflicted on Haitians. The demonstration will begin in front of Fort National at 10AM EST.

“Despite its ‘protection’ mandate, the UN’s militarization of Haiti has harmed women. MINUSTAH soldiers themselves have been guilty of sexual violence and the deadly cholera the UN brought to Haiti has destroyed families. Women, often the heads of their households, have been most vulnerable to these harms. They continue to suffer while the UN’s wrongs go unpunished,” added Rose Getchine Lima, the BAI Women’s Network Coordinator.

International Women’s Day honors women’s struggle and achievements for gender equality and justice. The demonstrators note that MINUSTAH’s operations in Haiti have ill-served this struggle.

Discontent is rising as the UN denies justice to the Haitians victimized by the UN mission. Since the mission’s arrival in 2004, independent reports and the UN itself have documented a myriad of MINUSTAH human rights abuse. These abuses include sexual exploitation of Haitian women and youth, in the form of gang rape in some instances. In 2010, MINUSTAH troops imported a virulent foreign-strain of cholera into Haiti’s largest river system through negligent waste disposal practices. Currently the worst in the world, the cholera epidemic in Haiti has killed to date over 7,000 Haitians and sickened over 500,000.

“The United Nations says it acts to ‘advance the status of women.’ Yet it won’t hold its personnel accountable for raping Haitian women, girls, and boys, or take responsibility for the cholera epidemic that has killed over 7,000 Haitians. The UN needs to act or the rapes and the cholera deaths will continue to decimate Haiti’s people,” said Mario Joseph, Managing Attorney of the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI). The BAI represents over 5,000 victims of cholera who filed claims with the UN demanding that the UN invest in comprehensive water and sanitation infrastructure, compensate the individual victims, and issue a public apology.
                                                                                               ###

Click HERE to See the PDF Version
Click HERE to See the Press Release in French  

Lundi 5 Mars 2012, Port-au-Prince — En commémoration de la journée internationale de la femme 2012, ayant lieu le 8 mars, des groupes de défense des droits humains se joindront aux victimes du choléra dans une manifestation pacifique avec le slogan “Hommes et Femmes ensemble, demandent justice et réparation pour les victimes du choléra et des viols commis par la MINUSTAH.” Avec le soutien du Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), du réseau femmes BAI, du collectif demandant réparation pour les victimes du choléra, du Mouvement pour la Liberté et l’Égalité des Haïtiens dans la fraternité (MOLEGHAF), de Solidarite Fanm Ayisyen (SOFA), et de Batay Ouvriye, les manifestants protesteront de manière pacifique contre le choléra et les violences sexuelles que les Nations Unies et sa mission de maintien de la paix, la MINUSTAH, ont infligés aux haïtiens. La manifestation débutera à Fort National à 10h du matin.

“Malgré son mandat de ‘protection,’ la militarisation d’Haïti par les Nations Unies a porté préjudice aux femmes. Les soldats de la MINUSTAH se sont eux-mêmes rendus coupables de violences sexuelles et l’épidémie mortelle de choléra causée par les Nations Unies a détruit de nombreuses familles. Les femmes, souvent pilier de la famille, ont été les plus vulnérables face à ces atteintes. Elles continuent de souffrir alors que les manquements de l’ONU restent impunis,” ajoute Rose Getchine Lima, la coordinatrice du réseau femmes BAI.

La journée internationale de la femme honore le combat des femmes et leurs accomplissements pour l’égalité des sexes et la justice. Les manifestants dénoncent le fait que les opérations de la MINUSTAH en Haïti ont desservi ce combat.

Le mécontentement grandira tant que le refus des Nations Unies de rendre justice aux Haïtiens victime de leur mission persiste. Depuis l’arrivée de la mission en 2004, des rapports indépendants, et les Nations Unies elles-mêmes, ont documenté une myriade de violations des droits humains commis par la MINUSTAH. Ces violations incluent l’exploitation sexuelle de femmes et de mineurs allant jusqu’au viol collectif dans certains cas.

En 2010, les troupes de la MINUSTAH ont introduit une souche étrangère et virulente de choléra dans le réseau fluvial le plus important du pays à cause de négligences en matière d’évacuation des déchets humains. Jusqu’à présent l’épidémie de choléra a causé plus de 7000 décès et infecté plus de 500 000 haïtiens.

“Les Nations Unies se prononcent en faveur de ‘l’avancement de la condition des femmes.’ Pourtant elles refusent de reconnaître leur responsabilité quant aux viols de femmes et d’enfants haïtiens et quant à l’épidémie de choléra qui a tué plus de 7000 haïtiens. Les Nations Unies doivent agir ou les viols et le choléra continueront de décimer le peuple Haïtien,” dit Mario Joseph, Avocat et directeur du Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI). Le BAI représente plus de 5000 victimes du choléra ayant porté plainte contre l’ONU et demandant que l’ONU investisse dans des infrastructures sanitaires et en eau potable adaptées, indemnise les victimes individuellement, et présente des excuses publiques.                                                                                                                                                           ### 

Click HERE to see the PDF Version
Click HERE to see the Press Release in English 

Download (PDF, 278.94KB)

Take Action

Help Haitian Women Fight Against Rape

Sign Petition to Demand An Adequate Response

“The way you saw the earth shake, that’s how our bodies are shaking now” described one woman of a secondary humanitarian crisis facing the women and girls of Haiti.

As Haiti’s earthquake toppled buildings, it also toppled social structures that provided Haitian women some protection against sexual violence. Rape was widespread before January 12, but the hundreds of thousands of women now living on the streets or in camps, often without their family and neighborhood networks, are more vulnerable than ever. As of March 21, grassroots outreach workers had tracked[i] 230 cases of rape in 15 camps, over 15 incidents per camp, in a partial survey. There has been no comprehensive survey and, sadly, UNIFEM’s database for collecting data on sexual violence was destroyed[ii] in the earthquake. But, with over 500 camps in Port-au-Prince alone, it is clear that sexual violence is widespread.

There have been some efforts by Haitian officials and the international community to provide protection and post-rape services, but these efforts have fallen short. This is unacceptable. Numerous international standards[iii] and guidelines[iv] warn of heightened levels of gender-based violence in the wake of disaster and provide recommendations for ensuring women’s safety, care and legal recourse. Contrary to the recommendations, Haitian women have been systematically excluded[v] or underrepresented in earthquake response decisions. Women’s repeated requests[vi] for inclusion[vii] in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA[viii]) process and the UN Donor meetings[ix] on March 31 went unanswered. By leaving Haitian women themselves out of the discussion, so too were their needs.

On her visit to Haiti last weekend, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro listened to women’s fears[x] of being sexually assaulted or beaten. She also noted the critical conditions people are living in (see a video on conditions in the camps and sign a petition demanding improved aid distribution[xi]). The UN Independent Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, Michel Forst is in Haiti this week[xii] where he too will reportedly listen to women and other vulnerable populations.

The UN has taken the first step by listening to women. Action must follow. To call on the UN, and more specifically the Security Council, MINUSTAH, UN Member states and the Government of Haiti, to take the next step, sign the petition by clicking here.

Targeting

Yukio Takasu, President UN Security Council

Michel Forst, UN Independent Expert on Human Rights in Haiti

Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women

Asha-Rose Migiro, UN Deputy Secretary General

Edmond Mulet, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General

Force Commander Major General Luiz Paul Cruz, MINUSTAH

Major General Gerardo Christian Chaumont, UNPol, MINUSTAH

Petition Text

I sign this petition to express my concern about the inadequate response to the rampant sexual violence Haitian women and girls face daily. I applaud the three-day visit of UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro to listen to the people of Haiti in this time of crisis and her attention given to these issues. More can and should be done. Independent Expert Michel Forst should build on the work of Deputy Migiro. When the Security Council meets on April 28, 2010, to discuss implementation of MINUTSAH’s mandate, gender-based violence issues should be at the top of the agenda.

The UN, tasked with security and protection, must provide for the protection and promotion of women’s human rights in Haiti immediately. At the same time, the UN must be looking towards long-term solutions outlined in the reconstruction plan for Haiti, including incorporating women’s voices and assuring justice for victims of sexual violence. A women’s perspective is critical to avoid recovery policies that inadvertently reproduce discrimination against women and leave them vulnerable to gender-based violence. Such actions would comply with the principles outlined in key humanitarian documents, including the UN Guiding Principles on Internally Displaced Persons and the UN Gender in Humanitarian Response Working Group’s Guidelines on Gender Mainstreaming.

I urgently request that the UN and more specifically the Security Council, MINUSTAH and UN Member states respond more efficiently and effectively to Haiti’s earthquake. This includes measures aimed a prevention, protection and participation:

• Strengthen security in displacement camps, with specific attention to protecting women from gender-based violence. To this end, secure safe spaces for women to meet and organize and encourage, duplicate and finance initiatives of women’s groups, such as citizen camp surveillance committees.

• Consult with and include Haitian political, non-governmental and grassroots women leaders in needs assessment, and in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of relief and reconstruction programs.

• Urge police-contributing Member States to answer the call of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to deploy to Haiti more female UN police officers trained as sexual and gender-based violence specialists.

• Work with the Bangladesh Government to dispatch, in a timely fashion, the promised all-women Formed Police Unit (FPU).

• Provide the means for victims to report incidents of sexual violence, and emergency health services for physical and psychological support.

• Ensure the effective collection of evidence for accountability and prosecution.

• At the Security Council meeting on April 28, urge members to take strong measures and actions to address the situation of gender-based violence, especially in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Haiti.

• Urge the Government of Haiti to draft a National Plan of Action to implement UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000), 1612 (2005), 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009), and 1889 (2009) with an appropriate timeframe and budget.

Sign Petition by clicking here.

[ii] http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/voices_from_the_field/story.php?StoryID=1028

[iii] http://www.idpguidingprinciples.org/

[iv] http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/IASC/downloaddoc.aspx?docID=4402

[v] http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=30194&t=Haiti%3A+++Women+demand+role+in+reconstruction

[vi] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=88662

[vii]http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5095/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2402

[viii] http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SNAA-83U9LW?OpenDocument

[ix] http://www.madre.org/index/press-room-4/press-releases-34/news/press-conference-on-haiti-reconstruction-featuring-edwidge-danticat-and-marie-st-cyr-345.html

[x] http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/93828.html

[xi] http://www.change.org/haitijustice/petitions/view/we_can_do_better_for_haiti_demand_transparency_and_improved_aid_distribution

[xii] http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/%28httpNewsByYear_en%29/EB00C4B1F539B02CC12577050055B495?OpenDocument

The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) is the first comprehensive piece of legislation in the United States aimed at ending violence against women and girls around the world. It would improve our government’s response when women are victims of sex trafficking and rape during war and would provide aid to women’s groups on the ground working to help survivors of domestic and sexual violence. It would focus resources on prevention and ensure that dollars are used in the most effective ways possible. In some countries, it truly could mean the difference between life and death for a woman or girl. We are asking that Members of Congress cosponsor this important piece of legislation.