Social Inclusion of Survivors of Sexual Violence: How Do Support Programs Work?

Abstract

New survey-based evidence indicates that Brief Points survivors of sexual violence in eastern DRC feel less included across various social settings compared to non-survivors. Support programs for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are found to have a significant positive effect on perceived improvements in economic wellbeing. They also make women feel more socially included. However, the latter effect appears to be weaker for survivors than for non-survivors. Hence, increased focus and resources are needed to work actively with the local population in order to encourage social inclusion of SGBV survivors