“Who do I turn to?” The experiences of Sudanese women and Eritrean refugee women when trying to access healthcare services in Sudan after being subject to gender-based violence

Aim: To explore the experiences of Sudanese women and Eritrean refugee women in Sudan when seeking healthcare after being subject to gender-based violence. Background: In Sudan there is a general assumption that anyone who is subject violence, including gender-based violence, must first go to the police department to file a report and be given “Form Eight”, a legal document, which they must present to the healthcare provider before they receive any care. Without this form healthcare providers are, supposedly, by law not allowed to treat the person. This complicates an already vague system of services for women subject to gender-based violence. Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of eight Sudanese women and seven Eritrean refugee women. Data was analyzed through a framework analysis (a form of thematic analysis). Results: Women had to bring Form Eight before they received any help, this led to a delay in the time to receive care. There was a general lack of cooperation by police officers. Some women feared the consequences of help seeking, apparent amongst those subject to domestic violence and the Eritrean refugee women. Generally, the healthcare provided to these women was inadequate. Conclusion: This study concludes the experiences of all the women in this study when seeking healthcare after being subject to gender-based violence were far from international standards. A lot needs to be done in order for women to know the clear answer to the question posed in the title of this study; “Who do I turn to?”