Governments Overlook Lasting Impacts of Enforced 
Disappearance on Women

NEW YORK, March 16, 2015 –

In Raddoluwa, Sri Lanka, a woman pays tribute at a memorial to the disappeared during a commemoration ceremony held annually on October 27.

Image by Photo by Vikalpa

“Although women make up the minority of those who are disappeared around the world, in almost every country we studied, from Lebanon to Nepal to Argentina, they make up the majority of those who suffer serious, lasting harm after a disappearance,” said Amrita Kapur, Senior Associate for ICTJ’s Gender Justice program.

“When a loved one goes missing,” explained Kapur, “most often women are on the forefront of the search for truth and vulnerable to further abuses, even as they take on the role of breadwinner while raising children. Women’s stories are not being told, making it harder for governments to respond effectively.”

According to the report, inequalities steeped in tradition often mean that women experience the social, economic, and psychological consequences of disappearances differently than men.

When a male breadwinner is disappeared, severe financial hardship often follows for the family, compounded by the time and money they spend searching for information and tracking down leads. Many wives and mothers must enter the workforce, sometimes for the first time. Without skills or experience, they may take low-paying jobs far from home or risk exploitation, including through sex work.

In some societies like Sri Lanka and Nepal, the wives of the disappeared may be harassed or ostracized by their communities because they are considered neither “wives” nor “widows.” Some may be blamed for their husband’s disappearance or mistreated by their in-laws if they are perceived as an economic burden.

The ambiguous legal status of a missing relative – who is not officially dead or alive – leaves families in a state of limbo. In Lebanon, some wives of the disappeared who were interviewed by ICTJ felt that requesting a death certificate for their husband would be tantamount to “killing” him. Some feared it would absolve the government of its obligation to search for the missing. For others it was a necessary practical step: “I made the decision because I couldn’t register my kids at school, I couldn’t get them identification papers . . .”

Creating a new legal category of “absence due to disappearance,” like in Peru, Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has proven to be one solution to the challenge of accessing inheritance and social services for family members. Equally important are compensation programs and state assistance for women to overcome social inequalities in literacy and access to education.

“Women are impacted uniquely by enforced disappearance,” said Nahla Valji, Policy Adviser and Officer in Charge, Peace and Security Section, UN Women. “Governments must understand this in order to respond to their diverse needs and enduring right to remedy.”

This report is part of a four-year project by ICTJ, funded by UN Women, to examine how enforced disappearance impacts women. Other reports focus on women’s experiences in two countries where the crime has been prevalent, yet remains inadequately addressed by the government: Nepal and Lebanon.

The full report can be downloaded in English here.

About ICTJ

The International Center for Transitional Justice works to redress and prevent the most severe violations of human rights by confronting legacies of mass abuse. ICTJ seeks holistic solutions to promote accountability and create just and peaceful societies. For more information, visit www.ictj.org