Steps taken to protect women refugees against abuse

Steps have been taken at Zimbabwe's Tongogara refugee camp to stamp out allegations of sexual abuse following two incidents at the camp earlier this year, David Mlambo, UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) administrator at the camp told IRIN on Monday.

The camp, in Chipinge, near the border with Mozambique, provides assistance to around 800 refugees, about half of whom are women.

In June allegations of sexual abuse by humanitarian workers saw two employees of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) dismissed.

They had allegedly requested sexual favours in return for items like sanitary towels and blankets sent to the camp for distribution.

"We have brought in a female social worker and are trying to employ female officers instead of men," said Mlambo. "We want the women to be dealt with by women."

He added: "We have also asked for extra police involvement and they are on site. Everything is under control now," he said.

Liberian refugee Mary Browne told IRIN: "These days things are much better. The social worker deals with women's problems and they are opening up more to her than to a man."

The Zimbabwe incidents came after similar incidents in West Africa after which the UNHCR introduced a wide range of measures and operational guidelines to protect refugees against sexual abuse and inform them of their rights.