Haiti's Women Face Rising Violence as Crisis Deepens

According to UN Women, sexual violence has reached alarming levels as armed gangs expand their control and influence.

The opening of Haiti's first state-supported safe houses for survivors of violence has been welcomed as a significant step forward, but it also highlights the growing dangers facing women and girls across the country. According to UN Women, sexual violence has reached alarming levels as armed gangs expand their control and influence. Women and girls are increasingly being targeted, with rape reportedly used as a tool to intimidate communities and maintain power.

Data from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti shows that 1,863 cases of sexual violence were verified in 2025, including more than 1,600 women and nearly 200 girls. The figure represents a dramatic increase compared with the previous year. During the first quarter of 2026, sexual violence accounted for more than 70 per cent of reported gender-based violence cases. Reports also suggest that perpetrators are using digital platforms to share or store images of assaults, further traumatizing survivors through blackmail and humiliation.

Displaced Women Face Daily Risks and Hardship

As gang violence spreads beyond Port-au-Prince into other regions, nearly 1.5 million people have been forced from their homes. More than half of those displaced are women and girls. Conditions inside displacement sites have raised serious concerns. Many shelters lack adequate lighting, secure sanitation facilities and basic safety measures. Women and girls often face heightened risks when using shared bathrooms or moving around camps after dark.

The crisis has also devastated livelihoods. Before displacement, many women earned incomes through farming, small businesses and informal trade. Today, opportunities for work have largely disappeared. UN Women data shows that more than 80 per cent of women living in displacement sites are unemployed.

At the same time, women continue to carry the responsibility of caring for families while coping with the trauma of violence, loss and repeated displacement. Healthcare, education and essential services have also deteriorated sharply. Nearly 40 per cent of health facilities in Port-au-Prince are no longer operating, while more than 1,600 schools have been forced to close.

Women Lead Recovery Efforts Despite Limited Support

Despite the challenges, women are playing an increasingly important role in humanitarian and community leadership efforts. Participation by women in displacement site committees has risen from just 2 per cent in late 2024 to more than 40 per cent in 2025. Women-led organizations are helping survivors access support services, distributing cash assistance, strengthening community protection measures and helping families meet basic needs.

UN Women is working alongside these groups and government agencies to provide emergency support and help women rebuild their lives. The newly opened safe houses, established by Haiti's Ministry of Women's Welfare and Women's Rights with support from UN Women, are intended to offer protection and assistance to survivors of gender-based violence.

Aid organizations warn that the scale of need continues to grow while international funding for Haiti has declined. They are calling for greater investment in protection services, healthcare, education, food assistance, livelihood support and women-led organizations that remain on the front lines of the crisis.

UN Women says the resilience shown by Haiti's women and girls is remarkable, but resilience alone cannot solve the crisis. Lasting safety, protection and recovery will require stronger national action and sustained support from the international community.