Trauma, memory, and spirituality in the experiences of women who survived the Gukurahundi atrocities.

Abstract

In conflict zones, women and girls are frequently the most vulnerable and suffer the most harm. Their precarious position makes them easy target for heinous human rights violations such as rape and torture. Women survivors of these atrocities often must live with vivid and horrifying memories of rape, war, and death for the rest of their lives. This was the case for women who survived the Gukurahundi massacres in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland and Midlands areas, where the Fifth Brigade army committed grave human rights violations. The violence that happened between 1983 and 1987 left communities wounded and destabilised. understanding women’s traumatic experiences in the context of their surroundings is crucial for understanding how they process, recall, and deal with traumatic experiences. Furthermore, women’s experiences of trauma constitute an important starting point for understanding their lived reality. The goal of this studywas to document women’s accounts of the Gukurahundi massacres as well as to examine how they remember and cope with their traumatic past. This study also looked into how women express spirituality and construct meaning in the aftermath of the atrocities. The findings reveal that sexual violence trauma memories are highly detailed and enduring, even over long periods of time. Survivors recall their rape experiences clearly and in great detail, and their memories have shaped their current worldview. The personal experiences that women relate in this study include not just a history of what happened during Gukurahundi, but also the ongoing suffering and pain that they continue to endure in the present. Despite a possible Christian background, the women make no mention of their Christian faith and instead rely on their African traditional beliefs to construct and find meaning for their trauma. as a result, the chain of events and their repercussions are understood from a cultural standpoint.