The research shows that young people between the ages of 15 and 24 indicate that girls and young women are more often sexually exploited and that existing violence against women increases during conflicts. Almost 40 percent of young people also indicate that girls in their country are more often married off than before the start of the conflict.
According to Plan International, a war brings with it a climate of violence and forced marriages: often, in addition to the conflict, factors such as poverty, hunger and the failure of police or child protection also play a role. Young people who participated in the research state that girls are married off to fighters, after which they are more often victims of sexual violence and run a high risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
More vulnerable than boys
The vulnerability of girls and young women is also mentioned as an important factor in the report. The research shows that girls feel less safe during conflicts than boys. Although it is more common for boys to join the army or other armed groups, interviews show that girls and young women are also recruited. Often forced through abduction or arranged marriage, but also voluntarily in the hope that the group will protect them.
Of the young people surveyed, 24 percent say that the number of cases of sexual exploitation has increased during the conflict, with women forced to provide sexual services in exchange for food, water or protection.
Girls want to have a say
Plan International Director Garance Reus wants girls and women to be involved in peace negotiations. In the NOS Radio 1 Journaal she says that this group is important for a sustainable solution.
“In ongoing conflicts, it is always the parties and armed forces that are given a platform, but without that group of women, there can often be no sustainable solution. By mapping the risks, we hope to give these women a platform,” says Reus.
The young people surveyed also urgently need peace negotiations and a ceasefire, and one in three think it is crucial that girls and young women are involved. Almost half also say that the causes of war, such as poverty and inequality, must be addressed to achieve lasting peace.>
