In recent years, reports of sexual crimes in Haiti show a persistent upward trend in these violent acts against women and girls. Sometimes used as weapons of control, these attacks leave lasting physical and emotional scars not only on the survivors but also on Haitian communities.  In June 2024, 13 cases of sexual violence against minors were reported by the Brigade for Minor Protection in the main town of South Department; while the Ministry of Gender registered 8 cases of sexual violence in June towards minors; 21 cases were reported by the Institute of Wellbeing between April to June in the same department.

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen gender-responsive initiatives across Haiti, within the framework of the Spotlight Initiative, funded by the European Union, UN Women provided equipment and materials to ten departments in the Haitian National Police's Gender Cells.

The provision of this equipment and material is a critical step towards enhancing the Haitian National Police's operational capacity to respond timely to gender-based violence survivors' needs, offering proximity services while at the same track the perpetrators when needed.

The computers and tablets, motorcycles, and conference room equipment, among many other equipment handed over, will enable the Gender Cells to perform their roles more effectively and efficiently.

The handover ceremony took place in Port Au Prince on July 25th, in the presence of the Minister of Gender Affairs, Marie Francoise Suzanne, and USAID representatives, strategic partners in the fight against gender-based violence in Haiti.

During the ceremony, the Minister of Gender Affairs paid tribute to the memory of the three-year-old girl who was raped, then murdered, in Lascaobas, in the Center (10) department.

She made a solemn commitment that this crime would not go unpunished. She reiterated the Transitional Presidential Council and the government, led by Prime Minister Garry Conille's determination to promote an equal society where every woman and every girl can aspire to live in peace, respect, and dignity.  

The Chief of Staff of the Haitian National Police, Inspector General Smith Peyo, was highly appreciative of the donation while expressing the police institution's commitment to combat violence against women and girls at the community level, stating that the issue is one of the institution's main priorities. He recognized the police unit in charge of women's affairs and gender issues weaknesses, in coordinating units to fight against sexual crimes and the brigade for the protection of minors in effectively responding to emergencies.

UN Women's representative in Haiti, Goretti Nduwayo, stated, "We are confident that the equipment and material provided to the Haitian National Police  will contribute significantly to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls throughout Haiti."

Nduwayo highlighted that the donation was provided within the framework of the Spotlight Initiative, which contributed nearly 2 billion Gourdes from the European Union and almost 140 million Gourdes in contributions from the United Nations, that have been implemented since 2017 with satisfactory results. This programme has allowed UN Women and other UN Agencies to intervene in the capacity building of the Haitian National Police.

UN Women's representative in Haiti reiterated the commitment to support the Haitian National Police and vowed to continue working with other partners in the framework of the Spotlight initiative because, despite the convincing results, much remains to be done in Haiti.

UN Women will continue collaborating with the Haitian National Police, supporting their work on violence prevention, community violence reduction, and disaggregated data collection and management on gender-based violence.

Haiti’s instability fuels rise in sexual violence against women, UN Women reports

New York, Port au Prince – A recent report by UN Women shows the alarming living conditions and lack of security faced by 300,000 displaced women and girls in Haiti, exacerbated by ongoing political instability, escalating gang violence, and hurricane season further threatening the Caribbean Island.

Civil unrest has led to a profound humanitarian crisis in Haiti, with more than 300,000 people displaced from their homes—including an estimated 170,000 children. Such displacement puts women and girls’ rights, economic prospects, and even their lives at risk.  

Throughout this crisis, women’s groups have worked to remain active in Haiti, and UN Women is working with partner organizations to provide economic, psychological, and other forms of support to women and girls in the country. 

One such project operates in Cité Soleil, in the metropolitan area of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. There, UN Women has partnered with Rapha International and local groups since late 2022, with funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund, to provide emergency support to women survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including counselling, medical assistance, relocation, and economic funding. 

The programme also rolled out a secure web-based reporting system to allow victims of gender-based violence to connect with service providers securely and anonymously, seeking medical care, psychosocial services, rehousing, and economic support. 

More than 2,000 people have used that system since its launch, which has led to 230 women and girls receiving food and hygiene kits while they fled from gang violence. Separately, a community-based referral programme has resulted in nearly 1,000 women and girls receiving aid, providing direct psychosocial support to 524 and other forms of assistance to 436 others. 

The partnership with Rapha International also featured trainings for 10 community leaders and 86 other stakeholders, including school principals and hospital and clinic directors, to learn how to monitor for signs of sexual abuse and how best to report such cases.  

Separately, in Haiti’s South Department, the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund—a partnership among the United Nations and local civil society groups—has funded a project giving some 54 rural women access to financial institutions for the first time by launching two Village Savings and Loan Associations, which are self-managed and self-capitalised savings groups that use members’ savings to lend to each other. 

Such financial empowerment has given women greater independence and autonomy, which they had previously lacked.  

“These women have now a stronger presence and representation in their community”, said Marc-Aurele François, Coordinator of MOJDDE, a local organization in the southern commune of Port-à-Piment that has worked with women recovering from a 2021 earthquake.  

Also in the South Department, the National Associative Network for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (RANIPH South), a partner of UN Women, has worked to expand its programming to reach people with disabilities by opening a new accessible workspace. The facility is now used by eight local organizations with a combined membership of 800 people, ranging from a local savings and loan association to women’s and disabled persons’ empowerment groups.  

“This institutional support has significantly strengthened RANIPH's presence and enabled the organization to provide improved support to disabled individuals in the region”, RANIPH coordinator Semé Jean said, speaking of the UN Women partnership. 

In the southern commune of Les Cayes, UN Women and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund have also supported a project aimed at helping women and girls learn entrepreneurial skills and gain more economic independence.  

Since its launch in 2022, the project has reached 200 women and girls, providing them with trainings and advice on agricultural best practices, running a business, and other topics, including gender equality and women’s leadership. Dormevil Onicia, a 46-year-old mother of five who attended those trainings, said the programme not only gave her important skills, but that the classes on women’s rights made her feel more empowered. 

“In the past, I was not used to participating in public meetings or speaking out in large groups. With the arrival of this project, I began to participate in the meetings organized by those in charge and the participatory and inclusive approaches used helped me a lot to be a fulfilled woman!” she said. “I am proud to have been part of this programme.” 

Onicia said that the trainings encouraged her to switch from growing corn—which required a large amount of space—to breeding small livestock and sheep, as well as raising less resource-intensive crops and making use of composting and mulching techniques. The programme gave her seeds and technical assistance, as well as two sheep to launch her new business. 

“With the right agricultural methods, I cultivated on less space than before and I earned more money”, she said, adding that she had also expanded her business to include a mill, where she grinds corn and cereal grains and then sells the ground products at a local market. 

“Maize and millet waste are also sold to farmers, nothing is lost”, she said. “Using the income generated I pay school fees for my children, including my son who is in his first year of university.” 

Another woman in Hati’s south, Florence, said that programming offered by UN Women, with support from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund and local partners had given her a second chance at life after surviving gender-based violence. 

She attended the Strategic Support Unit for Agricultural Development (CASDA) programme, focused on empowering women who have survived gender-based violence. It included professional training, counselling, workshops on women’s empowerment and their rights, and initiatives aimed at strengthening their resilience and economic independence. 

“My life was filled with fear and uncertainty. The violence I suffered left me without hope”, she said. “But thanks to the opportunity provided by CASDA, I was able to start my own small business. Today, I am proud to say that I am financially independent and that I can provide for the needs of my family.” 

“This project has given me confidence in myself and in the future”, she said. “I am grateful to all those who have made this is possible.”