Challenges in accessing health care support services encountered by rape victims in Khomas region, Namibia

Abstract

Domestic violence is an endemic problem in Namibia and may be the most underreported form of violence against women and men, girls and boys residing in the country [Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), 2014:295]. Domestic violence, takes many forms, including physical aggression (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, or throwing objects) as well as threats, rape, other forms of sexual and emotional abuse, controlling or domineering behaviours, intimidation, stalking, and passive or covert abuse (e.g., neglect or economic deprivation). Victims of rape and gender-based violence (GBV), however appear to face significant challenges in accessing healthcare support services. It is against this background that this study was conducted. The main goal of this study is to explore and describe the challenges faced by survivors of rape in the Khomas region of Namibia in accessing health and support services. The study utilised a qualitative research approach, which was applied research, as it focused on problems faced in the practice of identifying and seeking to address the challenges faced by rape survivors in the process of trying to heal from the trauma of rape. The phenomenological design was deemed appropriate for this study since it dealt with some sensitive issues regarding personal experiences of violence and reaction to it. The study was therefore exploratory and descriptive in nature an unstructured one-onone interviews were used to collect data. Findings from the study showed that rape survivors in the Khomas region of Namibia face many challenges in accessing healthcare support services which relate to the problems that they face as a result of the rape, as well as to the nature of support that they get from healthcare centres, the police, the community as well as their socioeconomic circumstances. Close collaboration is required between relevant stakeholders such as healthcare workers, police, communities, the legal justice system and policy makers. This will assist in the development of more effective policies and the building systems and institutions that are more effective in offering support to survivors of rape. It is therefore recommended that service delivery to support survivors of rape be improved in such a way that it becomes more accessible and survivor friendly.