In November 2010, the Protection Working Group at InterAction issued a series of papers documenting an array of issues affecting the lives of Haitians made even more vulnerable by the 2010 earthquake. The papers set forth a number of recommendations calling on interested parties to ensure that all steps taken in rebuilding Haiti would uphold and restore lives with safety, dignity and rights. A critical area of focus was gender based violence (GBV). As we pass the second anniversary of the earthquake, it is an appropriate time to assess where and if progress has been made on the identified issues and to identify key challenges that limit protection to this critical group of Haitian society.

As the government of Haiti and the international community mark the 2nd anniversary of the 2010 earthquake, much attention is focused on longer-term reconstruction and development efforts. But there is still a large and urgent humanitarian emergency affecting approximately 490,000 Haitians who remain displaced by the disaster. For them, life is largely unchanged. The most vulnerable, often women and girls, remain at great risk of violence and exploitation.