Assessing the need for safe abortion services among Somali refugees in Ethiopia
Abortion
Awarded 2016
Large Research Grants
Suzanne Petroni, PhD
International Center for Research on Women
$218,000

The overarching goal of this study is to provide reliable, rigorous and scientifically grounded evidence on the need for safe abortion services in refugee settings, including as a result of rape and incest, and to use this evidence to inform the development and delivery of programs and policies for millions of refugee women worldwide. More specifically, we aim to assess the context of and need for safe abortion among Somali refugees living in camp settings in Ethiopia, to document the range of existing reproductive health services available to refugee women, and to identify the barriers to and facilitators of accessing these services. We will share findings with service providers, program implementers, advocates and policymakers, such as the US State Department, US Agency for International Development, UNHCR and International Committee of the Red Cross, among others to inform programs, policies and investments. These findings will be particularly informative and timely, as UNHCR considers ways to expand its reproductive health programming, with ICRW’s technical advice.