{UAH} PART OF A STUDY MADE BY THE BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY {Bridgewater, Massachusetts.}

Experiences of Women War-Torture Survivors in Uganda: Implications for Health and Human Rights

 

"…………………The research went on to conclude that the war was a planned military strategy that

caused destruction of the economic, social and cultural capital of the Baganda ethnic

group. Obote‟s soldiers targeted practices, rituals and customs that embody cultural

values. They caused sexual dishonour of Baganda women through sexual violence,

abductions, rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery and sexual dishonour of men and

women through forced incest. These war crimes can be understood as an attempted

genocide (Liebling, 2005).

 

The Health Consequences for Women War-Torture Survivors

The vast array of health effects that resulted from women‟s war experiences was

overwhelming. The previous study by Isis-WICCE found „the most vulnerable and

greatest casualties of the war were women and children‟ (Isis-WICCE, 1998). Of the 209

women seen 55% had gynaecological problems as a result of rape and sexual violence

experienced during the war. These included fibroids, cancers, vesico vaginal fistulae,

sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, prolapses, menstrual disorders, miscarriages,

and perineal tears. Of 48 women screened for psychological and physical difficulties,

41.7% experienced chronic pelvic pains and 35.4% disclosed they were raped during the

war. However this figure is likely to be much higher and Rosalind Lubanga in an earlier

study in Luwero found out of 92 respondents 88% reported knowing someone who had

been sexually abused and she estimated from focus groups held with women war

survivors that between 50-70% could have been sexually assaulted during the war

(Lubanga, 1998). Of these 48 women 81.3% suffered with musculo-skeletal aches and

pains and 62.5% experienced chronic headaches. This paper highlights the reproductive

and gynaecological effects on women by illustrating these particular sections of two

narratives. It is important to note that their stories are a similar reflection of the

experiences of other women war-torture survivors interviewed in Luwero.

Jackie

Jackie was a 34-year-old woman from Kasana Parish. She grew up in Luwero

with her paternal aunt, as her mother left home when she was young. She received little

education, as she was withdrawn from school by her father. The war started when she

was 17 years old before she had completed primary education. She described what

happened during the war:

When we ran we lost all our property. After they told us that our father had been

killed we continued running to Kiboga and Mummy almost died too. Daddy was

shot dead and Mummy survived and is still alive today. When we returned, we

found two people had been killed from our house and the skulls were still there.

The iron sheets had been removed and taken to their detach.

She went on to say:

When we came back we found soldiers had taken some girls and as they tried to

run they came by our house. As the soldiers chased them they saw me and three

of them raped me twice in succession.

Jackie became pregnant and later lost the baby. She said:

I was greatly affected and I was taken care of using local traditional medicine. I

healed well but they had left me pregnant and I contracted syphilis...I feel a lot of

pain and a sore developed which hurts a lot and I itch around the private parts,

which smell. I produced the baby and named her Samanya Agnes, „I did not know

Agnes‟, but she died at two years from diarrhoea and body swelling. Jackie lost her father, several family members and friends during the war. She

later married and had four children. Her husband beat her, refused to give her money for

food or to educate the children. As Christine Obbo (1989) has also argued in the context

of Uganda, Jackie‟s experiences caused destruction to her identity and loss of her role as

a maintainer of social boundaries. However, she was able to take control of her life,

leave this abusive relationship, obtain economic independence and establish a life for

herself and her children. She had never taken legal action for what she experienced but

she hoped to buy a piece of land of her own in order to settle.

The role of traditional beliefs is very important in Uganda and like Jackie; several

women relied on traditional medicines for their difficulties and used traditional birth

attendants to deliver. Within Baganda culture there is an expectation that women will

continue to produce children but due to devastating effects on their reproductive health

this is problematic. The damage to women‟s identities is immense within this cultural

context (Obbo, 1989).

Harriet

Harriet was 40 years old and from Wakayamba. She had five children, grew up in

Luwero and attended school until Senior 1. However, she became ill, which affected her

schooling. She grew up with her grandma and described a happy childhood. Harriet got

married in 1975 and when the war started she had two children and was pregnant with

another child. Her husband was chosen for her.

Three of Obote‟s soldiers raped Harriet during the war.

I was raped the first time when I was coming from Kampala. I had no identity

card so they took me in to a small house in Bombo and three soldiers had turns

with me.

Harriet went on to describe how badly her experiences had affected her and she

developed abdominal pain. She was later raped again. This time she had just given birth

and had to go looking for food in an area infested with soldiers. Harriet left her baby with

her mother and whilst looking for food two Obote soldiers raped her again. Harriet

described her problems:

Ever since then, my tubes hurt a lot and when I went to the hospital they said my

fallopian tubes had become „shocked‟. It actually took four years to produce

another child after that one. But during the delivery the uterus came out too but it

was put back. However, when I got pregnant again the uterus had to be removed

completely.

Although Harriet had seen several doctors she still felt a lot of pain when she was

having her period. Whenever she had sexual intercourse she suffered extreme internal

pain and had also been infected with syphilis. Harriet explained that ever since the war

she had lost the desire for sex. Hence, similarly to Jackie, her identity as a woman had

been badly affected (see Obbo, 1989). Harriet was the leader of Twekembe women's group and had taken legal action

for her war experiences although this had been unsuccessful. She felt local women had

become more empowered since the war ended and had entered leadership roles in

government. Despite her difficulties Harriet became a local woman political leader within

her community and assisted many other women. In these ways she reconstructed an

alternative identity. She was able to reflect on the influential roles women had taken in

Government since the war had ended.

Several other women interviewed had experienced similar effects and research

analysis concluded that genital mutilation and rape caused considerable damage to

women‟s reproductive organs (see Liebling, 2003; 2004a; 2004b, 2005). Women were

infected with sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS and the effects of their

experiences resulted in chronic abdominal pain. The physical, psychological and social

aspects of their experience of pain were closely enmeshed and directly impacted on their

identities. As Gillian Bendelow (2000: 23) argues:

In order to develop a more sophisticated model of pain, which locates individuals

within their social and cultural contexts, a more sociological analysis is needed,

not to replace the role of medicine or psychology, but to enhance our overall

understanding of the complex phenomena of pain.

Priel, Rabinowitz & Pels (1991) put forward the view that people suffering pain

need to find meaning for their symptoms as without it, despair and isolation may develop.

Through the process of narrating their experiences during focus groups, women in the

current study were able to give some meaning to their pain.

The Isis-WICCE intervention projects, as well as funding for the Ph.D. research

and fund-raising by the Older Feminist Network South Wales, enabled time-limited

specialist medical treatment for these women war survivors, as well as the establishment

of an income-generating scheme. In March-April 2005 a small research grant obtained

from Coventry University enabled further focus groups to be held with the same women

and men, as well as follow-up interviews with key informants. The aims of this study

were to evaluate the effectiveness of the income-generating scheme initiated and medical

interventions previously held. These interventions have contributed positively to the

further collective empowerment of women war-torture survivors in Luwero. This in turn

has enabled women to make greater use of local health services. However, the women‟s

need for specialist and sustained reproductive and gynaecological health care remains an

urgent priority (AGOU, 1999; Liebling, 2005). Women war survivors interviewed in

Luwero felt a holistic approach to their reproductive health needs would be of benefit.

They expressed the wish for a specialist reproductive health intervention service

including gynaecologists employed by Luwero District as well as global changes in

health policy to provide gender-sensitive services for all women affected by war. Women

interviewed felt their views should be included at all levels in the future planning and

delivery of services. Women also expressed the view that sharing their painful

experiences through the current research had enabled recognition and an end to the

silencing of their urgent health difficulties and therefore improved access to appropriate

treatment. Women also felt that increased access to income-generating schemes would

further assist their ability to access appropriate healthcare……."

 

EM

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"