Gender, Cash Assistance, and Conflict: Gendered Protection Implications of Cash and Voucher Assistance in Somalia/Somaliland
Publisher: USAID and CARE
Author(s): Jillian J. Foster, Allison McGrath, and Sarah Littisha Jansen
Date: 2019
Topics: Assessment, Conflict Prevention, Gender, Protection and Access to Justice
Countries: Somalia, Somaliland
Protection issues are multi-dimensional in Somalia and Somaliland. Vulnerability is as much about physical violence as it is about drought and chronic food insecurity. The challenges that Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland face can be roughly categorized into (a) environmental, or climate related, and (b) human-made crises. The recurring droughts of 2016 and 2017 left 5.4 million people in need of assistance and protection. Climate-related emergencies and increased violence with the rise of al-Shabaab and other violent non-state actors has led to migration internally and externally. Conflict shapes gender and protection issues across the region, increasing vulnerability, particularly for already marginalized groups like women, the disabled, and minority clans. The effects of conflict are not homogenous nor evenly distributed. Those living in the central and southern areas of Somalia have been particularly affected by the consequences of war, whereas those in the northeast (Somaliland) have experienced relative peace for almost a decade. Differences in resource allocation, access and use of those resources, the size and strength of local clans and male elders, and the presence of armed groups are related to a variation in protection issues throughout the region. While protection issues are widespread, they are also built on a foundation of a gendered clan hierarchy which underpins dynamics in the entire region. The majority of communities experience water and food insecurity, and many experience forced, climate-change induced, or livelihood-motivated displacement. Sexual and gender-based violence is ubiquitous but affects men and women, boys and girls in very and gendered ways. In Somalia/land women and girls are at increased risk of experiencing this sexual violence during displacement, when searching for food and water, or in and around areas with a presence of armed forces.