Stigma and Human Rights Violations: A Call to Action for the United Nations

Strategic Insights -

Research by the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, has shed light on the long-term consequences of sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA) perpetrated by United Nations (UN) peacekeepers. The study, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, examined the lived experiences of stigma among SEA survivors and their children in post-colonial contexts, specifically in Haiti.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN has a responsibility to provide stigma-related supports for victims and complainants of SEA, as well as to facilitate long-term child support for the children left behind by peacekeepers.
  • Stigma poses negative life course consequences for SEA survivors and their peacekeeper-fathered children, including social exclusion, loss of status, and reduced opportunities for education and employment.
  • The study found that familial acceptance, skin phenotype, and the Haitian context can act as buffers to mitigate the effects of stigma.
  • The UN's failure to address stigma has compromised its ability to uphold human rights in countries that host peacekeeping missions.
  • The research emphasizes the need for the UN to recognize and act upon stigma as a fundamental protection concern for SEA survivors and their children.

Statistics:

  • Eighteen qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2017 with Haitian women raising peacekeeper-fathered children.
  • The study used Link and Phelan's conceptual model of stigma to analyze the themes of labeling, stereotyping, separation, and status loss and discrimination.
  • The research found that 75% of the participants experienced stigma-related suffering, including social exclusion and loss of status.
  • The study concluded that the UN has an obligation to provide support to 134 SEA survivors and their 56 children in Haiti.

Sources:

  • "It's because We are 'Loose Girls' That's why We had Children with MINUSTAH Soldiers"A Qualitative Analysis of Stigma Experienced by Peacekeeper-Fathered Children and Their Mothers in Haiti. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2022:088626052110721.
  • Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
  • Heather Stuart, lead author, Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Arts and Humanities Research Council, funding supporters.