Basic Needs 451
• Men without much to do should be encouraged to begin
activities like skills training, sports, or cultural activities.
• Women should be directly in charge of distributing
basic resources, like food, water, and fuel, so they
do not have to negotiate for their basic needs.
• The camp should
be arranged so
that latrines and
other facilities for
basic needs are
close by and well
lit. Women should
also demand more
protection at night,
including women guards.
• Try to arrange meetings for men and women to discuss
preventing sexual violence. Make sure everyone
understands the dangers. Protection against violence
can be included in other programs, such as health and
nutrition meetings.
• Ask for education about alcohol and drug misuse.
I wish the latrines were
closer to the camp.
It isn’t safe to go here
alone or after dark.
➤ You may risk
attack if you have to
go a long distance
for food, water, fuel,
or to use sanitation
facilities.
If you are attacked:
• Request a physical exam right away from a woman
health worker. You may be able to prevent pregnancy
and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV
infection, by taking medicine. If you might be pregnant,
be sure to discuss ALL your options—abortion, adoption,
or keeping the baby—with a health worker.
• If it seems safe to do so, report the attack. Officials
will be required to investigate. Remember that you do
not have to answer any questions you do not want to,
especially about your past sexual history.
• Talk over what happened with a trained mental health
worker. This will help you realize you are not to
blame for the attack and that many other people have
overcome such experiences. If no mental health worker
is available, see the chapter on “Mental Health.”
• In some cultures, rape is seen as a woman’s failure to
guard her virginity or her dignity in marriage. If your
family is angry at you or ashamed that this happened,
they may need counseling also.
• If you can, you may want to move to a safer place, away
from your attacker. Request that your family or friends
come also, if you want them with you.
what to do if you have
been raped, 334
emergency family
planning, 226
mental health, 413
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012