Gender-Based Violence and Displacement: The Impact of Farmer-Herder Conflicts on Women's Safety in Benue State, Nigeria (2015-2025)

Abstract

This study examines the intersection of farmer-herder conflicts, forced displacement, and gender-based violence (GBV) in Benue State, Nigeria, between 2015-2025. Through analysis of humanitarian reports, scholarly research, and field studies, we document how escalating violence has displaced over 3.5 million people, with women and girls constituting approximately 75% of the IDP population. In the precarious environment of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, women face alarming rates of GBV, including sexual exploitation (33.2% prevalence), intimate partner violence (12.2%), and survival sex transactions. Contributing factors include overcrowding (e.g., 37,412 displaced households), inadequate sanitation, economic desperation, and systemic protection failures. A June 2025 attack that displaced 3,000 persons to the Ultra International Modern Market IDP Camp saw a child sexually assaulted within 24 hours of arrival, exemplifying acute vulnerabilities. This research recommends urgent structural interventions, including gender-sensitive camp design, economic empowerment programs, and judicial reforms, to address this humanitarian crisis.