Climate change disasters and gender based violence in the Pacific

Studies conducted in six Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) focused on women’s life-time experiences of violence. Of the women surveyed, 60-80% had experienced forms of physical or sexual violence by partners or others. Women of all ages are affected, including young girls, and types of violence include assault, rape, and sexual abuse of children. The perpetrators of violence were almost always intimate partners and family members, and low reporting rates mean this problem is largely invisible. In situations of disaster, SGBV is a pervasive factor which heightens existing  vulnerabilities. Unless effective mechanisms to address SGBV are put in place, an increase in climate-related disasters in the Pacific will put women at...