Rates of domestic violence also increase dramatically in the refugee community because of the stress and frustration that refugees experience. Moreover, women's feelings of shame and fear of community recrimination prevent women from reporting violence against them to local authorities and their families. Camp workers, who are mostly male, exacerbate the problem because they believe sexual violence is an inevitable part of the refugee situation. Prevention of sexual violence, however, should be a priority in refugee camps. Both the Guidelines on Refugee Women and the Guidelines on Sexual Violence discuss methods by which the physical protection of refugee women should be insured.
Measures can be as simple as the strategic planning of refugee sites.
Locating women's latrines and washing facilities separate from male facilities, and not on the outskirts of a camp, has reduced the danger of being raped at such locations. Lighting also is critical for a safe environment for refugee women. Counseling of refugee women also is an important tool for obtaining data on the prevalence and circumstances in which sexual violence occurs, with the objective of reducing the frequency and the stigma attached to being a victim of sexual violence. Moreover, perpetrators of sexual and gender violence must be made accountable for their actions whenever possible. Women's groups in the camps can be utilized to reactivate traditional sanctions for domestic violence.