Her EASE Re-established: Addressing Sexual Exploitation in IDP Camps

The devastating 2018 flood in Patani, Delta State, displaced families and forced many women and girls into temporary Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. Beyond the immediate loss of homes, livelihoods and personal belongings, displacement also heightened the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and other forms of gender-based violence.

In response to these realities, the Community Empowerment and Development Initiative (CEDI) developed Her EASE Re-established, a programme focused on addressing sexual exploitation and restoring dignity, safety and agency among women and girls living in IDP camps.

The initiative seeks to create safer spaces where affected women can access information, support and protection while strengthening community awareness around sexual exploitation and gender-based violence. It also promotes women’s participation in decisions affecting their welfare, encourages reporting and referral of abuse, and supports pathways towards economic and social recovery.

Her EASE Re-established is built on a simple principle: disaster response must go beyond food, shelter and emergency relief. Women and girls must also be protected from exploitation and given the support they need to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Through this programme, CEDI continues to advocate for a humanitarian response in which the safety, rights and voices of women are treated as an essential part of recovery, not an afterthought.