1/3/2018
FY 14: Gender-based violence among stateless and national populations in Cote d'Ivoire
Table 2. Correlates of lifetime violence victimization among stateless men
Lifetime experience of violence
victimization
Total
No (N=86)
Yes (N=26)
(N=112)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
Never
23 (71.9)
9 (90.0)
32 (76.2) 0.417
Once per month or less
4 (12.5)
0 (0.0)
4 (9.5)
Few times per week/ daily
5 (15.6)
1 (10.0)
6 (14.3)
1 (1.2)
1 (3.8)
2 (1.8)
p-value
Partner alcohol use (n=42)
Money that participant earns is more
than partner (n=111)
0.370
Person who makes decisions about healthcare for participant (n=42)
Participant
11 (35.5)
6 (54.5)
17 (40.5) 0.582
Partner
4 (12.9)
1 (9.1)
5 (11.9)
Participant and partner jointly
13 (41.9)
4 (36.4
17 (40.5)
Other family member
3 (9.7)
0 (0.0)
3 (7.1)
*Marginally significant <0.10; **Significant <0.05
General Health
Few female participants self-rated their health as poor or very poor (national: 8.7% vs. stateless: 10.2%). One in five women reported elevated symptoms of
depression, with no difference by nationality status. Stateless women were more likely to report difficulty in getting money for medical advice or treatment
(72.7% vs. 50.0%), and concerns about deportation when accessing healthcare (40.2% vs. 1.3%) relative to national women.
Similarly, few male participants self-rated their health as poor or very poor (national: 8.1% vs. stateless: 8.7%). Despite similar health ratings, stateless men
reported lower use of hospitals (4.5% vs. 15.2%) Stateless and national men reported similar levels of depressive symptomatology (22.5%); however, stateless
men were also more likely to report concerns getting money needed for health advice or treatment (73.9% vs. 48.5%), distance to the health facility (37.9% vs.
20.2%) and fear of deportation when accessing healthcare (39.7% vs. 0%) compared to national men.
Appendix Table 7 provides the descriptive health characteristics of stateless and national men and women in Cote d’Ivoire.
DISCUSSION
This study sought to explore the context of statelessness and assess the association between statelessness and experiences of GBV among men and women
in Cote d’Ivoire. Over 350 women and 220 men, approximately half of whom were stateless, participated in community-based surveys in early 2017.
Major differences between stateless persons and those with Ivoirian nationality existed on the basis of basic demographics. Both women and men who were
stateless were less likely to have ever attended school or attended secondary school; were more likely to face challenges legally marrying a partner; less likely
to have any form of health insurance; less likely to own the land upon which they lived; and less likely to be able to open a bank account, compared to those
with Ivoirian nationality – all of which are likely attributable to the fact that a lack of citizenship prohibits basic access to legal services and education. These
same issues were mirrored among the partners/spouses of stateless persons, dually negatively impacting the family. Building on these challenges,
statelessness impacts employment for these individuals; while employment levels were the same, slightly less than 50% of stateless women and men reported
only having enough to meet basic needs to less than half of the month or never. These challenges may cause partners to travel elsewhere for work and may be
attributable to the forty percent or less of stateless men and women who reported growing up in a dual parent household.
Statelessness also drastically affects the livelihood of children. Few stateless parents reported that their children had been registered in Cote d’Ivoire. Stateless
children were 22 times less likely to have access health insurance (0.6% stateless vs. 13.8% nationals). Children of stateless persons were also less likely to
continue past secondary school. Consequently, these children of stateless parents are less able to be employed when they reach adulthood and more likely to
become work on plantations or sell goods like their parents.
https://www.state.gov/j/prm/policyissues/prmfund/276832.htm
10/27