Rapid Needs Assessment of Internally Displaced Women

Institute for Policy Studies

First Findings and Recommendations: DRAFT

September 30, 2008

This Assessment was carried out by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) with

financial and technical support of UNIFEM

The findings and recommendations expressed in this Assessment are those of Institute for Policy Studies, and do not necessarily represent views of UNIFEM.

Aim

To contribute to accurate understanding of the needs of internally displaced persons allowing for better targeted assistance capable of producing equal outcomes for women, girls, boys, and men.

Objectives of the Assessment

1. to provide a snapshot of socio-economic conditions of persons, especially women, displaced as a result of August events;

2. to assess women’s engagement into decision-making to include their needs and issues in the design and management of the collective centres/camps as well as their access to humanitarian aid and services, with an eye on their special needs (reproductive health, GBV);

3. to provide findings and recommendations of the assessment to UN, international, and local NGOs and government representatives to further elaborate their interventions not only in a short run of the humanitarian crisis but also in a longer run, at a recovery stage.

Guiding Frameworks and Tools

• CEDAW;

• UN SC Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security: 1325 &1820;

• IASC materials on gender in humanitarian action;

• WHO and UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict guidelines and other tools.

Assessment MethodologyQuantitative component – survey:1144 face-to-face interviews with IDPs residing in collective centers in Tbilisi, Gori, and Kutaisi

The sample of the respondents corresponded to age andsex distribution of the population of Georgia

Only one person per room/tent was interviewed

47.1% men and 52.9% women were questioned.

Age groups: 18-24 - 17.4%;55-64 - 20.7% 25-44 - 45.1%65 >16.8%

Assessment Methodology

Qualitative component:• 15 discussions with the groups of IDPs in collective

centers (men, women and mixed sex);• 30 in-depth interviews with representatives of

International organizations, government, local NGOs

Study was carried out through 5-29 September, 2008

This presentation includes predominantly the findings of the survey and discussions with IDPs

Education Level of IDPs

Majority of interviewed IDPs has secondary education. More women (25.8%) than men (21.6%) have higher (university) education.

Elementary 2%

Basic5%

Secondary51%

Vocational18%

High24%

Demographic Data97.0% of respondents are Georgian, 2.2% are Osetian, and 0.8% are of other ethnicity.

9.3% have polyethnic families, mostly Georgian and Ossetian.

On average families comprise of 4 members (range 1-10). In total 1144 respondents named 5083 family members.

Among them: Children up to 5 - 8.1%Children between 5-18 -19.6%Adults 18-65 - 65.1%Persons older than 65 - 9.5%

Conflict Zone60%

Neighboring South Ossetia

31%

Kodori Gorge9%

War Experience• 89.6% of respondents has been exposed to bombing (92% of men

and 87% of women);• 67.8% to military actions (70% of men and 66% of women);• 50.0% have witnessed death or wounding (66% of men and 34%

of women);• More men (10.2% and 16.0%) than women (4.7% and 7.9%)

experienced physical and verbal abuse.

Most often abusers were:

41.7% estimated behavior of Ossetian civilians as friendly, 24.3% as neutral and 34.0% as hostile.

Ossetian boeviks (79 cases) Ossetian civilians (38 cases)

Russians (41 cases) Cossacks (29 cases)

Kidnapping and GBV

19.5% - reported having information about kidnapping;

6.3% - reported having information about sexual violence against women. Out of these 70 respondents, 21.4% said they had information about cases of rape, 32.8% - group rape,14.3% - rape attempt,31.% - did not specify kind of abuse);

1.0% - reported witnessing rape;1.6% - reported witnessing torture.

Hostility and Friendliness to IDPs

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

Russian Army

Ossetian Boeviks

Cossacks

Georgian army

Georgian policy

Rep. of local administration

Rep. of Int. Org

Ossetian Civilians

Georgian Civilians

Friendly

Hostile

Leaving Conflict Area

Majority of respondents (83.9%) left during the military actions (7-12 August), 10.5% left after the open confrontation was over, only 5.6% left before the conflict began;

68.7% of respondents left home directed by their own conviction;

50.1% of respondents that did not get any assistance leaving their homes. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Army

Localadministration

Pollice

Central gover.

Inter. Org.

Family

Neighbors

Advice Support

Situation at Places of Permanent Residence

• 13.7% does not have information about the condition of their houses• 87.4% point that their harvest and 87.5% that their orchards are

completely destroyed. 71.2% reports that their domestic animals have been slaughtered or taken away

• 25.8% reports having family members, 29% of relatives and 42.1% of neighbors left in the places of permanent residence

Those who have information about their houses, report that they are:

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Completelydestroyed

Partially destroyed Robbed Untouched

Current State and Needs

• 88.2% of IDPs are registered with authorities. The biggest share of respondents are registered in Kutaisi (93.4%), followed by Tbilisi (90,1%), and Gori (85.0%);

• Monetary support from the state is available for very limited number

of respondents (13.7%); • Lack of cash is identified by IDPs as one of the most urgent

problems. They do not have information on possibilities of getting entitlements and compensations for their lost property;

• The condition of getting assistance only in case of being present at collective center during distribution process, and not having information about the schedule of these distributions restricts IDPs mobility, and attendance of schools by children.

ShelterOn average, 6 persons share a room. More people share room / tent in Gori M=10.6), than in Tbilisi (M=4.3) or Kutaisi (M=3.4).

Assessment of shelter conditions:Good – 7.4% Moderate – 58.8% Poor –

33.9%

Lock of rooms are functioning - 63.8%; Lack private space to get dressed - 85.7%;The top priority need is having a private room for a family - 17.7%;

% of respondents who do not have:

39% 37%58%

80% 83%

0%

50%

100%

Bed Mattress Linen Pillow Blanket

Water and SanitationRespondents have pointed out that:

17.8% - there are mice, cockroaches, and rats in the building 47.3% - there is an insufficient number of functioning water taps

74.6% - has permanent water supply13.7% - get water on schedule 9.6% - get water occasionally 27.3% - name access to water as a priority need85% - do not have access to warm water87.7% - do not have a possibility to take a shower 51.6% - point that the number of restrooms is not enough

46.8% - assess conditions of the restrooms as bad 67.8% - there are no separate restrooms for men and women (Tbilisi

42.3% Gori 19.1%, Kutaisi 19.4%) 71.0% - lock inside restrooms are functioning, electricity provided

10.1% - (14.2% - women, 6.0%- men), feel insecure going to restrooms after dark

21.9% - name improvement of conditions/increase number of restrooms as a priority need

FoodRespondents have pointed out that: 61.7% - do not have enough food; 85.9% - of Tbilisi IDPs point at food deficiency, compared to 58.8% in

Kutaisi and 11.3% in Gori 55.9% - evaluate food quality as neither bad nor good, 17.5%

evaluate it as bad and 26.6% as good54.7% - point that almost never have a hot meal. Hot meal is more

available for the respondents in Gori - 96.4%, in Kutaisi - 62.2% or Tbilisi - 31.4%

1.7% - had a chance to take dairy product and 13.5% to take fruits, 28.9% to take vegetables and 47.6% to take meat during a week preceding the survey. The best situation is in Gori

and the worst in Kutaisi

84.8% - prefers to receive the products and cook for the family11.3% - prefers to be served prepared meals

Non-food ItemsMost pressing needs - cloths and shoes - 70.8%;

88.1% does not have enough cloths (Kutais79%; Gori 71.9%, Tbilisi 56.9%);

72.5% does not have enough shoes (Tbilisi 88.5%, Gori 88.6% Kutaisi 85.4%);

Underclothes is much demanded, especially by women.

10%

21%

33%

37%

41%

29%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Hygienicitems

Cigarettes

Kitchenrange

Furniture

TV set

Kitchensupplies

Most Requested Non-food Items

Needs of Pregnant Women

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Possibility to rest

Access to medical care

Adequate bed

Possibility to bathe

Adequate food

5.8% of respondents reported having a pregnant family member. Below are listed shortages experienced by the pregnant women:

Children’s Needs58.6% of respondents have children under the age of 18; 34.5% of respondents have children between 2-5; 58% of respondents have children under 278.5% of children do not have textbooks and school supplies while only 1.6%

have; 63.2% of respondents know which school their children will attend, 18.3% do not

know and 18.5% do not have school age children44.0% of respondents’ children have been examined by doctors, 25.8% were

consulted by a psychologist, 3,6 % had been in touch with a social workers. In Tbilisi access to examination and consultations have been the lowest and in Kutaisi the highest.

58.5% report having a playing ground in the vicinity of collective center. It is the most available in Gori and the least available in Tbilisi.

Most Urgent Needs of Children:

34%

22%

16%

8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Diapers Baby food Baby carriage Fruite and vegetable

Health And Wellbeing 13.4% - of respondents had a disabled person as a family member, out of these 175

persons 32.4% - women, 67.6% -men

87.5% of women and 79.5% of men stressed that they need medicines for family members

Examined by doctors: Consultation by psychologists Women - 62.7%, men - 46.1% Women -35.3.% men- 24.5%

30.4% of women think that men drink more alcohol and 34.1% of men think that they drink less alcohol after displacement

During the displacement 3.6% of men and 8.6% of women reported witnessing family conflicts

IDPs Self-evaluation of Health Condition as Bad

15%26% 21%

41%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Before Auguts After August

Man

Women

Economic ConditionIDPs assessment of their families’ economic conditions before

the conflict:

21.7% - well-off

67.7% - medium affluence

10.9% - poor Main Sources of Income

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Pension

Entitlement

Salary

Own business

Selling agricultural products

Other

In September

Before August

Economic Condition• Impoverishment of displaced persons is obvious; • They lost their property and the main source of income and

subsistence – harvest and domestic animals;• Portion of households with monthly income of more than GEL200

decreased from 59.1% to 13.0%; • 14.7% of the respondents pointed at having no income at all; • 92.1% of respondent wants to continue the activities they pursued

before displacement, 38.3% expressed desire to be retrained, 39.3% wants to acquire a new profession;

• 60.8% of men and 39.2% of women want to go abroad for work;• 56.0% of men and 44.0% of women show interest in taking loans to

start/develop small businesses;• 79.3% of males and 20.7% females are legal owners of the left

behind houses from 1011 respondents who answered the relevant question.

Access to information64.6% - did not receive information on assistance 72.4% - did not receive information on resettlement 87.5% - did not receive information on return

Respondents in Kutaisi are the most and in Tbilisi the least informed on assistance and shelter

Respondents from Gori are the most and from Tbilisi the least informed on return

Source of Information

57%

37%

28%

18%

1%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Other IDPs Media Electedrepresentatives

Officials Internationalorganizations

Access to Information

77.4% - has a mobile phone

23.8% - does not have a possibility to use it

More persons in Gori (19.1%), than in Kutaisi (17.5%) or Tbilisi (14.0%) do not have an access to telephone

63.0% - can watch TV. More people in Kutaisi (87.6%), than in Gori (77.5%) and Tbilisi (49.7%) have such possibility

20.5% think that women, and 18.1% that men are better informed on ongoing political events, while the majority 61.4% points that there is no gender difference in this respect

Management68.4% - thinks that the distribution of the assistance is mostly fair. Respondents in Kutaisi point to least injustice (6.2%) and Gori respondents the most (16.1%), with Tbilisi in between (15.6%).

18.9% - pointed that their family members ever participated in distribution. Participation of IDPs in the distribution of assistance is low in all regions.

10.9% - pointed that they were consulted on their relocation preferences (30.0% Kutaisi, 34.9% in Gori, 5.2% in Tbilisi).

12% - of IDPs were consulted on aid distribution. Best situation is in Kutaisi -30%, the worst in Tbilisi - 5%, with Gori in between -18%.

67.1% - of respondents had one elected representative. Among those elected 62.6% were male, 37.4% - female. 8.0% of respondents pointed that had two persons, one male and one female.

5.2% - of respondents reported having committee of IDPs

Recommended Actions

1. Policy Measures• Advocate with the government for speeding up the process of

granting legal status to all IDPs who cannot return to their respective homes, which will be paired with relevant entitlements and benefits. It is critical that the assistance is bound to individual IDPs and rather than their presence in the Collective Centres during the distribution process;

• As the main source of income was selling of agricultural products that the big majority of IDPs lost due to August events, it is critical to provide them with one-time compensations;

• Advocate with the government and provide support to the government to implement Domestic Violence Law of 2006 and Action Plan providing victims/survivors of domestic violence (including sexual violence suffered during the conflict), with shelters, crises and rehabilitation centres and a hotline;

Recommended Actions

1. Policy Measures• Start a dialogue with the government for the elaboration of the

Gender Equality Law providing for the establishment of a sustainable national gender equality mechanism responsible for mainstreaming gender equality principles in state programmes, as well as national coordination of gender equality policies;

• Advocate with the National Bank of Georgia to appeal to private banks for considering writing off loans and/or suspending accrual of the interest on the loans disbursed to the IDPs; The National Bank may encourage private banks through certain incentives e.g. offer beneficial provision levels for such non-performing loans;

• Follow up on the commitment made by the Ministry of Education and Science in relation to cancellation of tuition fees for displaced students.

Recommended Actions2. Measures on the Level of Institutions

Shelter / space arrangements in Collective Centres• To aim at locating only one family per room to meet minimal

privacy needs of IDPs;• In each medium and big size collective centre, allocate a

space for: 1. pupils to do their homework; 2. kindergarten run by IDPs; 3. help/information desk officer; 4. cooking.

Water and sanitation• Increase the number and improve the conditions of

restrooms, make sure that there are separate restrooms for women and men in every collective centre;

• Ensure that access to water is provided in every collective centre;

• Provide possibilities for washing and bathing.

Recommended ActionsFood• Provide balanced diet for children under the age of 5, and nutritious diets

for pregnant women and lactating mothers;• Provide vegetables, fruits and dairy products especially to children,

pregnant, and lactating women and elderly;• Provide food to returnees in the buffer zones;• In planning rehabilitation and finding durable solutions provide IDP

families with land for cultivation.

Non-food items• Expedite the provision of beds to everyone, including mattresses, pillows,

blankets, and linens also baby carriages, diapers, chamber pots, and toys;

• Speed up the provision of winter clothes and shoes. In addition to the provision of undergarments, socks, tights, and slippers;

• Provide with minimal facilities for cooking in the collective centres.

Recommended ActionsHealth• Organize sufficient number of mobile teams of doctors and psychologists

(family doctors, gynaecologists, and psychologists) visiting the collective centres, buffer zone and other conflict affected villages (as soon as security situation allows);

• Attend to the psychological state of displaced persons through various outreach strategies: e.g. create a helpline with anonymous psychological counselling service; in cooperation with local NGOs, establish and support functioning of various groups for psychological rehabilitation, separately targeting women, girls, men, and boys;

• Promote healthy life-style, provide information on nutrition of children, people with special needs (pregnant and lactating mothers, chronically ill) and adults;

• Provide regularly and in prescribed quantities medication to chronically ill;• Provide with wheel-chairs the disabled persons.

Recommended ActionsProtection• Organize and support functioning of interagency (including NGOs) mobile

teams of three/four persons that will visit collective centres, buffer zone and other conflict affected areas to observe human rights situation in the camps and report back to relevant government structures;

• Ensure recruitment of women among the deployed security forces in the buffer zone and other conflict affected areas, in addition ensure that police officers, both women and men, receive trainings in effective response to gender based violence (including domestic violence);

• Ensure that gender balance is observed while selecting persons serving as providers of information or other services to IDPs;

• Provide IDPs with legal counselling in relation to their liabilities towards banks, in cases of domestic violence, property restitution issues, etc;

• Return should be encouraged only after warranting high security conditions, including operation of Georgian police and demining of the territory;

• Study the needs of IDPs living in private dwelling, also study the needs of their host families to design and provide relevant support.

Recommended ActionsAccess to Information• Support creation of an information bank on central level in the

Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation on the existing / planned assistance initiatives;

• Create information/help desks in all collective centres, working in close collaboration with the MRA information bank, and having at least one information officer (desirably an IDP) who would be equipped with relevant information on type, amount, timing, and criteria for receiving assistance, including the names of contact persons for respective assistance or services for IDPs to refer further;

• Strengthen national gender equality mechanism (Gender Equality Council under the Speaker of the Parliament) through supporting its newly established Gender Resource Centre in Gori (GRCG), aimed at the provision of information pertaining to relevant services offered by state and non-state actors (through hotline, which will be based on information database), gender mainstreaming and coordination of gender-related initiatives in humanitarian and recovery activities;

Recommended ActionsAccess to Information• Advocate with the government that IDPs are provided with

information regarding realistic prospects of return and resettlement, as well as the amount and type of compensation, including other material aid that they can expect;

• Provide information to the population of affected zones, with special programs aimed at children as well as women and men on threats of landmines;

• Develop communication strategy in a way to ensure that messages are understandable for the majority of people who have only secondary education

Recommended Actions

Economic Condition• Support establishment of a kindergarten type facilities in the

collective centres employing predominantly IDPs, which would allow IDP women to take part in capacity building initiatives that will be offered at an early recovery stage, as well as to engage in economic activities;

• Provide the possibility of generating income, especially to longer term IDPs targeting both women and men through their capacity building and vocational trainings as well as provision of micro credit;

• Advocate with the government that IDPs located in Tbilisi are provided with monthly tickets for transportation;

• Involve IDPs in rehabilitation process to avoid creating in them feeling of helplessness, dependence and to generate income.

Recommended Actions

3. Community Level Measures• Inform IDPs about available health, psychological, legal and other

services;• Increase awareness of families on health-related risks and hygiene,

targeting both women and men; • Raise the awareness of IDPs with regard to domestic violence and

respective protection measures as foreseen by the Domestic Violence Law, as well as on the exacerbated potential for human trafficking;

• Strengthen the capacities of women to voice their priorities, enhance the empowerment and economic reintegration of IDPs and other conflict affected women (heads of households, single mothers, and widows) through small-scale business, including agri-business and skills building;

Recommended Actions

3. Community Level Measures• Support initiatives of displaced and conflict affected women to track

funds allocated for meeting their needs and participate in the post-conflict recovery;

• Support peace activism, confidence building and people-to-people diplomacy initiatives through joint projects across ceasefire lines for youngsters, women and men on detrimental effects of conflicts, conflict prevention, resolution skills, and women’s rights drawing on CEDAW, SCR 1325 and 1820;

• Strengthen women’s groups to continuously monitor and document human rights concerns of displaced and other conflict affected women, as well as of women living in the conflict zones, thereby creating an effective mechanism for dialogue between women across ceasefire lines and relevant decision-makers to address documented human rights concerns.

Recommended Actions

Management of Collective Centers• Advocate and support increased participation of IDP women and men in

the management of collective centres through elected IDP committees (having quotas of at least 40 percent representation of one sex);

• Strengthen the capacity of elected committees jointly with a group of IDPs, and develop their general ToR to ensure that these committees:

- advocates for increased transparency and fairness in aid distribution;

- ensures the communication flow between IDPs and state structures;

- Increases participation of IDPs in decision making concerning return, resettlement, and assistance issues.

 

Thank you!!!