Niger: Women’s views on insecurity in the Tillabéri region

This report presents the findings of a consultative study involving 52 women in Niger's Tillabéri region to analyze the gender-specific impacts of a security crisis that has claimed over 2,495 lives in the region between January 2017 and July 2022. The study highlights how insecurity exacerbates gender-based violence, increases poverty through widowhood and economic disruption, and hinders access to essential health and education services.

• The security crisis in the Tillabéri region has increased the risk of child marriage and early school leaving for girls. Families may use early marriage as a coping mechanism to reduce expenses, obtain a dowry, or establish protective alliances. This is compounded by the closure of 817 schools in the Tillabéri region as of August 2022, which increases the vulnerability of girls to forced marriage.
• Insecurity has led to a rise in domestic violence, driven by increased stress and the perceived inability of men to fulfill traditional roles as economic providers and protectors. A culture of silence often prevents women from seeking help, and those who do report abuse to police risk social disgrace or the loss of economic protection through divorce.
• Civilian widows face severe financial hardship and social isolation because the local economy is traditionally male-dominated and women have restricted access to land ownership. While national support exists for widows of security forces, civilian widows are ineligible and often feel abandoned by local authorities.
• The combination of armed conflict and climate change has caused significant food insecurity and economic decline. Armed groups have burnt granaries and targeted farmers, while attacks on transport routes have isolated areas and increased food costs. In 2022, over 996,000 people (25% of the Tillabéri region's population) were at risk of food insecurity.
• Forced displacement has created immense humanitarian needs and increased the vulnerability of women. Displaced women report facing social stigma, distrust from host communities, and barriers to healthcare, including corruption where they are charged 'exorbitant fees' for services that are officially free or low-cost.
• State and international security responses have sometimes caused additional harm to women and girls. Restrictions on movement and market closures under the state of emergency have worsened economic precariousness. Additionally, there are reports of sexual violence perpetrated by both foreign forces—such as Chadian forces in Téra—and individual members of national forces.

APA

Moderan, O., & Maïga, F. (2022). Niger: Women’s views on insecurity in the Tillabéri region. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-41-eng-rev.pdf

Chicago

Moderan, Ornella, and Fatoumata Maïga. Niger: Women’s views on insecurity in the Tillabéri region. Institute for Security Studies, 2022. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-41-eng-rev.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moderan |first1=Ornella |last2=Maïga |first2=Fatoumata |title=Niger: Women’s views on insecurity in the Tillabéri region |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2022 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-41-eng-rev.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moderan2022niger, author = {Moderan, Ornella and Maïga, Fatoumata}, title = {{Niger: Women’s views on insecurity in the Tillabéri region}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-41-eng-rev.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }