Measuring physical and sexual violence against somali women using the neighborhood method

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a major cause of injury and death. Data on the magnitude of GBV in conflict remain limited, particularly at a population-level. This study was conducted to 1) estimate the prevalence of GBV among female Somalis in two Ethiopian refugee camps and females in the neighboring host communities, 2) compare the prevalence of GBV among females in the refugee camps with prevalence among females in the host communities and 3) compare the prevalence of GBV among refugees in flight from Ethiopia to Somalia with prevalence in camps. Methods: Systematic random sampling was used to select households in AwBarre Camp (n=85), AwBarre Town (n=76) and Kebribeya Camp (n=83). The “Neighborhood Method” was used in which interviewers asked respondents about their experiences with physical violence and rape in the past 12 months as well as the experiences of females in their household and the households of their four closest neighbors. Results: GBV was common in all sample populations and was overwhelmingly domestic in nature. The prevalence of physical violence and rape was significantly higher in the host community of AwBarre than Kebribeya camp. Contrary to commonly held assumptions, women were at increased risk of experiencing physical violence (RR=1.8) and rape (RR=1.3) in the camp as compared to in flight. Conclusion: The domestic nature of GBV should be addressed and programming and services further developed for survivors of GBV. Services to support women in violent relationships and to help women improve their ability to keep themselves safe are essential.