Women’s and Girls’ Exposure to Gender-Based Violence in Southern Madagascar : Their Insights and Experience in the Aftermath of the 2019–2022 Drought

Overview & Synopsis

Between 2019 and 2022, Madagascar experienced an acute drought that triggered a chronic food security crisis, drawing justified attention to its nutritional and poverty-related impacts. However, local communities also perceived this period as one of social upheaval, where risks particularly for women and girls were heightened. In response, the World Bank initiated monitoring efforts to track perceived social changes during the drought, which revealed a noticeable spike in women’s and girls’ perceptions of increased gender-based violence (GBV) between 2020 and 2021, followed by a decline after the drought. This study provides a platform for the reflections of local communities in Southern Madagascar on the social position of women, the dynamics of GBV, and how the drought intensified these risks. It aims to capture local understanding, offer qualitative insights into why GBV was perceived to rise during this period, and explore the subjective factors behind this trend, while also contributing to existing knowledge gaps on the topic.