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Contrôle des gangs et vides sécuritaires : évaluation de la violence sexiste à Cité Soleil, Haïti

Contrôle des gangs et vides sécuritaires : évaluation de la violence sexiste à Cité Soleil, Haïti

Résumé — Note de recherche du GI-TOC présentant des données d'enquête sur la violence basée sur le genre (VBG) à Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, fondée sur un questionnaire et des groupes de discussion menés en décembre 2022 auprès de 591 femmes et filles par une organisation d'accompagnement anonyme, avec l'appui d'ONU Femmes et du Fonds de consolidation de la paix de l'ONU. Quatre-vingts pour cent des participantes avaient subi une ou plusieurs formes de VBG et 43 pour cent des victimes ont rapporté des violences sexuelles, les cas se concentrant dans le quartier de Brooklyn, épicentre des combats entre les coalitions de gangs G9 et G-Pèp.
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Cette note rend compte d'une recherche menée en décembre 2022 sur la violence basée sur le genre à Cité Soleil, commune défavorisée de près de 300 000 habitants et théâtre fréquent d'affrontements entre les coalitions de gangs G9 et G-Pèp. Les données ont été collectées au moyen d'un questionnaire et d'un groupe de discussion auprès de 591 femmes et filles de Brooklyn, Sarthe et Village des Rapatriés, administrés en créole par une organisation d'accompagnement restée anonyme pour des raisons de sécurité; l'analyse a été réalisée par le GI-TOC avec l'appui d'ONU Femmes et du Fonds de consolidation de la paix de l'ONU.

L'étude évalue cinq aspects de la vulnérabilité: sécurité, protection juridique, bien-être mental, autonomisation économique et éducation. Les résultats montrent que 80 pour cent des participantes avaient subi une ou plusieurs formes de VBG, bien au-delà de la moyenne mondiale d'environ un tiers estimée par ONU Femmes, et que 43 pour cent des victimes de VBG ont rapporté des violences sexuelles, dont 89 viols déclarés. Les partenaires actuels ou anciens étaient les agresseurs les plus cités (44 pour cent), suivis des inconnus, y compris membres de gangs, bandits et kidnappeurs (33 pour cent).

La violence se concentrait là où le conflit entre gangs était le plus intense: Brooklyn représentait 54 pour cent des cas de violences sexuelles et 69 des 89 viols déclarés, et 48 pour cent des VBG ont eu lieu en 2022, année des violents affrontements entre G9 et G-Pèp. La note documente également l'insuffisance grave des services judiciaires, de santé et psychosociaux pour les survivantes, et relaie les recommandations des leaders communautaires: renforcer les institutions auxquelles les femmes font confiance, appuyer l'organisation locale des femmes et développer la coopération intersectorielle.

Secteurs
Géographie
Période Couverte
2014 — 2022
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Texte extrait du document original pour l'indexation.

GANG CONTROL AND SECURITY VACUUMS ASSESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN CITÉ SOLEIL, HAITI MAY 2023 © 2023 Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the Global Initiative. Cover: People displaced by gang violence in Cité Soleil seek refuge in other neighbourhoods, Port-au-Prince, November 2022. © Ralph Tedy Erol/ Reuters via Alamy Stock Photo Please direct inquiries to: The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Avenue de France 23 Geneva, CH-1202 Switzerland www.globalinitiative.net ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is based on research conducted by a social support organization that wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons. The data analysis was by Summer Walker of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, with input and support from the organization. Thank you to Lyes Tagziria for reviewing the data analysis. Research was supported by UN Women and the UN Peacebuilding Fund, and this publication was made possible with generous core support from the governments of Denmark and Norway. CONTENTS Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 Methodology���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 Background����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 Gender-based violence: Findings�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6 Perpetrators�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 Location���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 Gender-based and sexual violence in 2022������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 Potential mitigating factors��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13 Education �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13 Employment �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14 Support services����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 Judicial support �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 Health support ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������16 Psycho-social support �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������16 Community leader recommendations��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������18 Conclusion���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19 Notes����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������24 2 3 SUMMARY T his brief summarizes research conducted in December 2022 on gender-based violence (GBV) in Cité Soleil, an impoverished, high-density commune of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. GBV – and sexual violence, in particular – has escalated dramatically in Port-au-Prince in recent years, as gangs have multiplied and taken greater control over communities, local economies and many aspects of daily life. Clashes between armed gangs, including attempts to take over territory, have severely affected security, particularly for women and girls. A report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), published in October 2022, documented how gangs have used rape and other forms of sexual violence in their quest for power and to instill fear in communities. 1 Meanwhile a breakdown in public safety across Port-au-Prince is a risk factor associated with increas- ing levels of GBV and reduces the ability to respond in an effective way. This brief focuses on research collected in and around Cité Soleil (in the areas of Brooklyn, Sarthe and Village des Rapatriés), using a questionnaire, focus groups and a round table discussion. The study assesses five aspects of vulnerability: safety, legal protection, mental well-being, economic empowerment and education. This research was undertaken under very difficult conditions, and with a high degree of sensitivity to the subject matter and involvement of participants. While the methodology is further explained below, some of the key findings include: ■Gender-based violence: The research found that 80 per cent of the women and girls who participated in the study had been victims of one or more forms of GBV by one or multiple perpetrators. While the research sample is not extensive, this is an alarming rate of GBV experienced by women and girls in the community – far higher than the global average of one-third estimated by UN Women. 2 Forty-three per cent of GBV victims reported experiencing one or more forms of sexual violence, including from partners and family members, strangers, gang members and kidnappers. This research found that current or former partners were the most cited perpetrator (44 per cent). Alarmingly, the second highest group was strangers (including gangs, bandits and kidnappers) with 33 per cent of respondents reporting one or more assailant in this category. This contrasts with 17 per cent reporting a family member and 16 per cent reporting a friend or friend of the family. ■The areas with lower levels of gang conflict registered fewer cases of GBV. The results of the research show a concentration of GBV – in particular, sexual violence – in the Brooklyn area, which has seen intense fighting between the G-Pèp and G-9 gang coalitions during 2022. 4 While Brooklyn residents represent 39 per cent of the total sample, 48 per cent of those who had experienced GBV were residents of Brooklyn; 54 per cent of the instances of sexual violence happened to residents of Brooklyn; and 69 out of the 89 cases of reported rape occurred in Brooklyn. Nearly 62 per cent of women and girls in Brooklyn who had experienced GBV responded that it had happened in 2022. ■Services for victims of GBV: The research identified a lack of adequate services and responses, including judicial remedies, health responses and psycho-social support, for victims. This brief not only offers insight into the current state of GBV in Cité Soleil but also identifies potential areas of support for donors and organizations interested in improving the situation. It offers three overarching recommendations, as outlined in the conclusion: building the capacity of institutions that women trust, identifying the ways women organize locally and developing cross-sector cooperation. Methodology This research was conducted by a caregiver organization that provides services, including psycho-social support, to women and girls in Port-au-Prince’s most vulnerable communities. The data was collected using a questionnaire and through a focus group, with 591 women and girls from the commune of Cité Soleil and its outskirts participating. The questionnaire was written in French, but the questions were asked in Creole to facilitate understanding. Participant involvement in the research was voluntary and answering questions was not mandatory, while others were open-ended. The research was carried out in collaboration with community actors and as part of offering psycho- social support to communities in Cité Soleil, including identifying people in need of assistance. For instance, in 20 of the most serious cases identified, victims are now receiving long-term trauma coun- selling and psycho-social care from the organization, with financial support from UN Women and the UN Peacebuilding Fund. The organization also held a round table with community leaders in the social, education, economic and health sectors to discuss what can be done to better address the safety threat faced by women and girls in vulnerable communities in Haiti, such as Cité Soleil. A summary of the recommendations is given in the conclusion to this report. © Andre Quillien/Alamy Stock Photo 5 BACKGROUND C ité Soleil is one of Port-au-Prince’s largest impoverished settlements, having developed over decades as a result of urbanization and displacement. Despite still lacking basic services, such as amenities and infrastructure, the commune has grown significantly and is now home to almost 300 000 people. 3 Over the past several years, as gang numbers have swelled and the quest for territorial control has escalated, violence across Port-au-Prince has risen at an alarming rate. Cité Soleil is frequently the scene of clashes between two warring gang coalitions: G-9 an Fanmi e Alye (G-9 and family) and G-Pèp. G-9 is a federation of gangs led by Jimmy Chérizier (alias Barbecue), while G-Pèp is led by Gabriel Jean-Baptiste (also known as Ti Gabriel or Gabo), head of the Nan Brooklyn gang. 4 The women and girls who participated in the research were residents of neighbourhoods either totally controlled by gangs or with little police presence. However, it should be noted that there is little police presence across Cité Soleil in general, with many of the commune’s substations and police stations burnt down in 2022 during acts of gang violence. According to BINUH and the OHCHR, the conflicts between G-9 and G-Pèp are ‘motivated by the interest of political actors in controlling territories’, with G-9 attempting to take control of neighbour- hoods under the influence of G-Pèp. 5 The violence is intense: in the Brooklyn neighbourhood alone, the UN reports that 263 people were killed, 285 injured and four reported missing between July and December 2022. 6 In this context of gang-driven conflict, sexual violence has risen as a weapon used by gangs, but also as a consequence of the deteriorating security situation in communities. The availability of support services for female victims of violence is limited throughout Port-au-Prince, and victims are reluctant to seek help (where it is accessible), due to social stigma and fear, 7 making responding to the growing problem a critical issue in its own right.   6 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: FINDINGS W hereas all Haitian citizens feel the heavy impact of organized crime on a daily basis, women and girls are disproportionately targeted for sexual violence (including rape) by members of armed gangs, and are at increased risk for all forms of GBV, largely due to rising levels of general insecurity in the country. Survivors often lack the support they need to cope with the trauma and the gender-specific medical needs resulting from sexual violence or physical abuse. The violence that women and girls face and its effects are multifaceted. Key findings are shown in the charts and tables in this section. All of the women and girls who participated in this study lived in neighbourhoods in, or on the outskirts of, Cité Soleil. Out of the total, 84.3 per cent of the sample population were adults (19 or older) and 15.7 per cent were minors (10–18 years of age). Sixty-one per cent of respondents were either single, widowed or divorced, while 39 per cent reported being married or in a domestic partnership. FIGURE 1 Marital status of participants. Single Married Free union (domestic partnership) Widow Divorced 50% 27% 12% 10% 1% 7 The research found an extremely high rate of GBV in the community. Eighty per cent of the women and girls who participated in this research had been victims of one or multiple forms of gender-based violence by one or more perpetrators. Forty-three per cent of those who had experienced GBV had been victims of sexual violence (of one or multiple types). While the research sample is not extensive, it is an alarming rate of GBV experienced by women and girls in the community. This is far higher than the global average of one-third estimated by UN Women. 8 The most common perpetrator reported was a partner or former partner, at 44 per cent. The second most frequent perpetrator was a stranger (including bandits, gang members and kidnappers) at 33 per cent, followed by a family member and then a friend. There were several instances of GBV carried out by religious leaders, community leaders or teachers (people in positions of power). There were no reported instances of GBV by a state authority, which is a positive sign, though many of these areas lack state presence, so drawing a conclusion from this is difficult. FIGURE 2 Victims of gender-based and sexual violence. FIGURE 3 Victims of gender-based violence, by age group. Victims of one or more forms of gender-based violence Victims of sexual violence among those experiencing gender-based violence 80% 43% 10–18 years 19–27 years 28–40 years 40+ years 32% 23% 31% 14% 8 Instances of gender-based violence: non-sexual violence Physical abuse Verbal abuse Psychological abuse Emotional abuse Economic violence Harassment 298 251 116 76 96 50 Instances of gender-based violence: sexual violence Trafficking in persons Rape Sexual harassment Sexual violence (not specified) Incest Forced marriage 19 89 51 79 2 2 FIGURE 4 Breakdown of forms of gender-based violence. NOTE: Many respondents were victims on multiple occasions with different perpetrators, so the figures do not make up 100 per cent. Some 475 respondents reported experiencing gender-based violence, but two declined to explain further, so the results are totalled out of 473 respondents. GBV saw a sharp increase between 2015 and 2022, with the most reported instances of GBV occurring in 2022. FIGURE 5 Victims of gender-based violence by year, 2014–2022. Perpetrators This research found that current or former partners were the most cited perpetrator, with 44 per cent of respondents reporting this. Alarmingly, the second highest group was strangers (including gangs, bandits and kidnappers) with 33 per cent of respondents reporting one or more assailant in this category. This contrasts with 17 per cent reporting a family member and 16 per cent reporting a friend or friend of the family. Many respondents had multiple perpetrators, either from one experience or due to multiple ex- periences of GBV. Due to the sensitivities of the research and care taken for the people involved, respondents were asked questions in a manner that did not specifically link acts of GBV to specific perpetrators, and provided opportunities to not respond if they wished. 0.9% 1.5% 1.7% 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 Other/I don’t recall 48% 21.3% 10.2% 5.5% 6% 4% 0.9% 9 Gender-based violence by partner Approximately 44 per cent of those who reported experiencing GBV responded that the violence had been perpetrated by their partner or former partner. Within this group of respondents, the most prevalent form of GBV reported was physical violence, followed by verbal abuse and then economic violence, which includes behaviours such as withholding money from a partner or refusing to let them work. Just under 30 per cent of the respondents who exclusively experienced GBV from a partner 9 reported a form of sexual violence inflicted by that partner. Gender-based violence by stranger In trying to assess violence committed by unknown assailants (as opposed to known assailants who were family or friends), the data was grouped to include multiple listed perpetrators for analysis – namely, strangers, gang members, bandits and kidnappers. Approximately 33 per cent of those who experienced a form of GBV reported an aggressor who was one of these types of perpetrators. This was the second highest group of perpetrators; known assailants, such as a friend or friend of family, were reported as constituting 16 per cent and a member of the family, 17 per cent. Within this group, 65 per cent reported that they had experienced sexual violence, with 39 per cent having experienced rape and 5 per cent reporting human trafficking. In some cases, multiple potential perpetrators were identified, including partners. Women and girls were not asked to assign each act of violence to a specific perpetrator when multiple instances of violence had been experienced, so some information cannot be ascertained. Fifty per cent of reported acts of GBV carried out by this group of perpetrators occurred in 2022, including 33 reports of rape and six reports of human trafficking. It is likely that this high percentage correlates with elevated levels of gang violence in the neighbourhoods of Cité Soleil in that year, and the use of sexual violence and rape by gangs as an act of collective violence against communities. FIGURE 6 Respondents reporting violence, by perpetrator type. NOTE: Many respondents listed multiple perpetrators. This is not a count of total perpetrators, but percentage of respondents reporting gender-based violence carried out by each group. This does not add up to 100 per cent due to multiple perpetrators listed by respondents. ‘Stranger’ also includes gang member, kidnapper, bandit and armed group. ‘Authority figure’ includes boss, religious leader, local leader and professor. Partner/former partner Stranger Family member Friend/friend of family Neighbour Authority figure 20% 40%10% 30% 50%5% 25% 45%15% 35% 44% 33% 17% 16% 4% 1% 10 Location The women and girls interviewed came from a number of residential zones within Cité Soleil, broken down into three main areas: Brooklyn, Sarthe and Village des Rapatriés. The G-Pèp coalition includes the areas of Brooklyn, Norway, Gaderie, Soleil 4, Soleil 17, Nan Boule, Bois Neuf, Projet Linthaud I, Projet Linthaud II, Warf, Projet Drouillard and Ti Haïti. Within Cité Soleil, G-9, with local coalition gang leaders Iscar and Mathias, covers Pierre 6 (Village des Rapatriés), Boston, Cité Lumière, Première Cité, Deuxième Cité, Bélékou, Warf Jérémie, Terre-Noire, Sarthe, Fontaine, Duvivier and Fort Dimanche. 10 FIGURE 7 Participants’ home location and proportion who have experienced sexual violence. 39% 36% 25% 54% 25% 21% WHERE DO YOU LIVE? VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE Brooklyn Sarthe Village des Rapatriés There is little to no police presence in all three areas, but some areas have experienced less gang fighting. G-Pèp retains most territorial control of Brooklyn, which is home to its leader Ti Gabriel. G-9 gangs are dominant in Sarthe and Village des Rapatriés. Fighting between gangs has occurred in different areas of Cité Soleil, but in 2022, for instance, intense fighting was concentrated in the Brooklyn area, as has been documented in the report by BINUH and OHCHR. Sarthe, while under the overall control of G-9, is parcelled among many lesser-known leaders who report directly to Iscar. While conflicts among G-9 and G-Pèp are less intense in the Sarthe area, member of the Sarthe gangs play an important role in supporting G-9 when engaged in conflict with G-Pèp. They can be mobilized quickly and go to ongoing conflict areas. Village des Rapatriés is near the community hospital of Fontaine, and has some private clinics and schools. For the past three years, the neighborhood has been living under the influence of the G-9 gang coalition. In Village des Rapatriés, Pierre 6 is a community that borders Brooklyn although separated by an area of vegetation. Confrontations between G-Pèp and G-9 often take place at Pierre 6, which is where the population of that area is most affected by the conflicts between Brooklyn-based gangs and Village des Rapatriés-based gangs. 11 One key finding of the research is that areas with less gang conflict registered fewer cases of GBV overall. The results of the research show a concentration of GBV – in particular, sexual violence – in the Brooklyn area. While Brooklyn residents represent 39 per cent of the total respondents, 48 per cent of those who had experienced GBV were residents of Brooklyn, and 54 per cent of the instances of sexual violence reported happened to residents of Brooklyn (though the questionnaire did not ask where the specific offence took place). Sixty-nine out of the 89 cases of reported rape occurred in Brooklyn. Only one resident of Brooklyn reported not being a victim of GBV at all, whereas 45 respondents in Sarthe and 70 in Village des Rapatriés reported this. Vaudreuil–Truttier Fontaine Terre-Noire

Comment citer

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), 2023, Contrôle des gangs et vides sécuritaires : évaluation de la violence sexiste à Cité Soleil, Haïti, https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/gangs-gender-based-violence-haiti/