Gender-Based Violence Prevention & Response: Opportunities & Challenges for Serving Urban Refugees in Ecuador

More than 120,000 refugees currently reside in Ecuador, constituting the largest refugee population found in any Latin American country. Nearly two-thirds of refugees and asylum-seekers have sought safety and security in cities.

Key Findings: 

• Women, girls, men, boys, persons with disabilities, and LGBT refugees all preceived threats of GBV in different ways.
• Both refugee service providers and local community-based organizations expressed a desire to work together more closely. This is particularly true between refugee organizations and LGBT organizations.
• Refugees living in Quito reported feeling unsafe throughout the city, with youth feeling particularly vulnerable at school.
• Refugees interviewed further reported finding it next to impossible to find a job, let alone one where their rights are respected and they are treated with dignity.
• Layers of discrimination function as a catalysts for GBV: discrimination toward refugees in general is compounded by stereotypes of Colombian women and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and/or intellectual or physical disability.