After flooding and rains devastate Peru, survivors of gender-based violence find safety and services at UNFPA-supported shelter

PIURA, Peru – Displacement. Violence. Stigma and discrimination. Unfortunately, these are some of the challenges women confront in Peru.

"I am one of the people who experiences women's day-to-day problems," said María Mercedes Albán Taboada. She works at a shelter supported by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, for women and girls in Piura, a region in northwestern Peru.

In recent months, torrential rains and destructive floods caused by Cyclone Yaku and the El Niño weather phenomenon have driven more than 110,000 people from their homes in Peru and left hundreds of thousands more in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Against this backdrop, women in Piura reported 2,640 incidents of violence between January and April 2023 – about half the total number recorded in 2022.

Research shows the risk of gender-based violence spikes for women and girls amid climate disasters. Sadly, crisis conditions also make it more difficult for survivors of violence to access the care and support they require.

It’s into this gap that community leaders like Ms. Albán step, with support from UNFPA, to safeguard the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls when they need it most.

Safety and solidarity for survivors

Despite the pervasive threat that gender-based violence presents to women and girls around the world – about one third of women are expected to experience physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lives – experts believe the vast majority of incidents go unreported. Polling in Peru, for instance, has shown that fewer than 30 per cent of women bring cases to the authorities.

Ms. Albán says she has witnessed women go to police stations and fill out all the necessary documentation to make complaints, only to change their minds at the last moment.

“No one is with them, giving them support and the certainty that they are not alone,” she said.

With UNFPA’s backing, however, Ms. Albán and others have been able to offer women and girls forced from their homes or left vulnerable to violence a safe place to stay and access to essential services after Cyclone Yaku.

At the La Molina II shelter where Ms. Albán works, case management of gender-based violence reports are supported by teams of legal, psychological and social work experts. Women and girls also receive dignity kits to help with their daily hygiene needs and information on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Since April 2023, UNFPA has provided support to nine shelters across northern Peru and more than 1,500 women affected by the climate crisis.

Giving their all

At La Molina II, Ms. Albán causes a stir when she arrives. As she gets off the bus, several children run eagerly towards her, followed by their mothers – many of whom are survivors of gender-based violence.

“Maria knows the area’s problems firsthand and knows most of the women and their needs at the shelter,” said UNFPA gender-based violence coordinator Cristel Damian. “It is a great support for our work to have leaders like her, with social skills and a vocation of unconditional service.”

Ms. Albán said it can be frustrating not to be able to do more for the women she works with. She has given many refuge in her home, and sadly seen some unable to escape the cycle of harassment and hostility perpetrated by their aggressors.

She is determined, however, never to stop supporting women that seek her help in eradicating violence from their lives. In this way, she is aligned with UNFPA and the organization’s goal to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and harmful practices.

“I am thrilled to see that there are people who give their all to fight against violence towards women,” she said.