Haitian Women Forced To Make Drastic Decisions As Gang Wars Worsen

The gang violence in Haiti continues to go from bad to worse and locals have been forced to make drastic decisions and activities to survive.

Some women end up becoming rape victims, including pregnant ones as a result of the chaos. Among them include a woman named Madeline who was raped and left helpless as gangs tortured and killed her husband.

Madeline was married to Baptiste, a relationship that dates back to 2002. They ended up getting hitched and settled down in Port-au-Prince, the New Humanitarian reported.

However, they are just some of the people left to deal with gang violence in Haiti. This grew intense in July, a reason why the couple sent their six children to a shelter for safety.

But days after that, both found themselves in the middle of a neighborhood set in flames. They were forced to flee their home, only to come across a gang that go through a horrific ordeal.

Both were dragged to a side street with Baptiste being pushed to the ground and beaten. The attackers even placed a tire around his neck and then set it on fire.

As for Madeline, she was raped by more than a dozen gang members. After having their way, they told the woman to run thus forcing her to abandon and leave Baptiste behind.

Their story is only one of several experiences that women in Haiti have had to deal with. Others were also brutally raped as they struggle to survive. Some have also made sure that their children are out of harm’s way, placing them in shelters and orphanages.

With most of the people there not well off, some have been given an odd way to earn. Some are recruited and paid to collect information while others have been forced to steal from homes, something shared by female victims themselves.

Others have aligned with other gangs for survival. However, this includes being subject to deadly consequences.

“Women need everything right now … water, food, safe shelter, psychosocial medical care and prophylactics to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of sexual diseases,” Sasha Filippova, senior staff attorney at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti said. “And it’s urgent. The situation is getting worse, not better.”