Haiti Case Study

Republic of Haiti

Active Project
“There are realities we are living here that cannot remain hidden. If we ensure these stories don’t just stay within our own communities or within country, if we publish them, then we have a better chance of getting the support we need.”
— Community Agent, KOFAVIV

In January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti, killing an estimated 250,000 people and displacing more than one million. In the wake of the disaster, instances of rape and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV) increased exponentially in the tent camps around the capital of Port-au-Prince. Local women’s groups with a strong track record for addressing GBV had their facilities and records destroyed. Despite the setbacks of the earthquake, though, they continued to organize, advocate and create systems to address the violence. They were isolated, however, limited in who they could reach to help, and how they could track their own work and expertise.  From 2010-2013, Dd partnered with women in Haiti to bring technical training, digital tools and new systems to local groups groups, supporting their strategic fight to address gender-based violence. Through this collaboration, Awana Digital’s partners were better able to serve survivors, educate communities, and advocate for increased security and services for women and girls.

Co-created Solutions

  • DATA: Built a secure system to collect GBV data, allowing local women to track, analyze, map and share data on incidents of violence. Over 1,000 incidents have been reported to police, government and other influencers over the last two years.
  • MOBILES: Launched the 572 GBV Emergency Response Call Center, Haiti’s first emergency hotline for GBV. The call center, open 24 hours a day, has fielded over 3,500 calls and connected hundreds of GBV victims to free medical, legal and psychosocial services.
  • MEDIA: Enabled local women to document and share realities in their communities through workshops in journalism, digital photography and blogging. A subsequent blog and photo exhibition brought Haitian women’s issues to national and international audiences.

Impact

Empowerment through skills, responsibilities and leadership training. Women with no prior formal employment are now managing teams and systems, advocating more strategically and positioned to help a larger community of survivors.

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