Using Technology to Combat Violence Against Female Refugees in Jordan
by ActionAid UK
THE CHALLENGE
Syrian women are highly vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), particularly in settings of displacement where both poverty and social precarity drive an increased prevalence of harmful practices while increasing women’s exposure to harassment. Yet Syrian refugee women, in particular, lack information to seek necessary care and assistance when affected by SGBV, which has significant physical and mental health implications. Such vulnerabilities are amplified by high levels of poverty and social norms that restrict Syrian refugee women from leaving their homes to access basic services.
THE SOLUTION
To support Syrian refugee women affected by SGBV, ActionAid UK established a women-designed, low-cost mobile platform that targets the most at-risk women and girls. The platform provided vital and up-to-date information and awareness on rights, local services, women’s safe spaces, and access to sensitive and confidential SGBV referral services. It also exhibited functions that enabled the reporting of SGBV incidents and risk mapping in urban areas. Between May 2019 and March 2021, ActionAid Arab Region piloted this mobile solution among Syrian refugee women and host communities in Jordan. Findings from the endline survey showed an overall positive outcome in terms of women’s increased perception of safety and well-being, as well as their awareness of SGBV, women’s rights, and their ability to report SGBV cases to authorities. Importantly, this work fits within the wider scope of work on changing gender norms, where women are engaging other members of society to shift harmful gender beliefs that hinder the advancement of women’s rights in Jordan.
