Historically, the Haitian response to domestic and sexual violence against women has been weak and was informed and exacerbated by political instability and repressive regimes in the country. Moreover, poverty in Haiti has left women more vulnerable to gender violence, and Haiti’s history of gender discrimination has denied women the ability to seek redress for violations. As a result, intimate partner violence and sexual violence are widespread and often go unreported.

The International Development Committee’s (IDC) inquiry into sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and related misconduct in the humanitarian sector is welcomed. This submission addresses the IDC’s examination of the measures and suggests changes necessary to establish effective safeguarding policies and processes.

This document is a response to a questionnaire from a Doctors Without Borders representative from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti on the question of the legal framework of sexual violence in Haiti. This document thoroughly analyzes the laws surrounding sexual violence and rape as well as the legal proceedings expected in certain situations and cases.

Ces dernières années, le Mexique est devenu un pays de transit et de destination non seulement pour les migrants d'Amérique centrale voyageant vers le nord, mais aussi pour des milliers d'Haïtiens faisant la longue traversée depuis Haïti, vers l’Amérique du Sud et, éventuellement, par voie terrestre vers le Mexique ou les États-Unis. Les Haïtiens ont fui leur pays depuis le tremblement de terre du 12 janvier 2010, qui a provoqué l'instabilité politique, l'effondrement de l'état de droit et la violence.

This is the experience of a Haitian woman living in Tapachula, Mexico, where she and thousands like her have voyaged through seven to eleven different countries, either via Brazil or Chile after fleeing Haiti, only to find themselves isolated, unsupported and marginalized in profound ways. A city near the border with Guatemala, Tapachula is an in-between place for Haitian migrants as they wait for their papers to travel elsewhere, some aiming to seek asylum in the United States.