Working with victims of Working with victims of sexual torture and rapesexual torture and rape

Survivors of Sexual Assault (SOSA) Project - A Survivors of Sexual Assault (SOSA) Project - A Zimbabwe ExperienceZimbabwe Experience

Fidelis Mudimu Fidelis Mudimu Counselling Services UnitCounselling Services Unit

IRCT-SSA Regional WorkshopIRCT-SSA Regional WorkshopYaounde Cameroun 10-14 December 2012Yaounde Cameroun 10-14 December 2012

IntroductionIntroduction

Introduction:Introduction:• The Zimbabwe Presidential election of 2008 was characterised by The Zimbabwe Presidential election of 2008 was characterised by

widespread violence and torture. widespread violence and torture. • This violence affected men, women and children.This violence affected men, women and children.• Most of the violence occurred in the rural areas. In these areas Most of the violence occurred in the rural areas. In these areas

most of the men left their homes in fear of victimization and most of the men left their homes in fear of victimization and torture. It was difficult for the women to follow suit because of torture. It was difficult for the women to follow suit because of their huge responsibilities in the home. their huge responsibilities in the home.

• These women became easy targets of violence, especially in cases These women became easy targets of violence, especially in cases where their husbands were known to support the opposition party.where their husbands were known to support the opposition party.

• With the male household members on the run the perpetrators With the male household members on the run the perpetrators turned mercilessly to the vulnerable women and children. turned mercilessly to the vulnerable women and children.

• Most of the women were beaten and some of them were sexually Most of the women were beaten and some of them were sexually abused. abused.

• In July 2011, CSU staff noticed an increased number of females In July 2011, CSU staff noticed an increased number of females who reported sexual violations in 2008. who reported sexual violations in 2008.

Overall Project GoalOverall Project Goal

The overall goal was the healing and The overall goal was the healing and empowering of female Survivors of Sexual empowering of female Survivors of Sexual Abuse (SOSA) who are well-informed and Abuse (SOSA) who are well-informed and actively participate in their communities actively participate in their communities and providing psychosocial support to other and providing psychosocial support to other women in their communities with similar women in their communities with similar problems. The trained women would also problems. The trained women would also form part of the referral network from which form part of the referral network from which CSU received its clients.CSU received its clients.

ObjectivesObjectives

• To facilitate healing after sexual abuseTo facilitate healing after sexual abuse• To share information on resources available for To share information on resources available for

sexually abused womensexually abused women• To empower women to come up with support To empower women to come up with support

groups that will meet regularly groups that will meet regularly • To equip women with basic care and support To equip women with basic care and support

skills which the women would use in their skills which the women would use in their communities to offer support to survivors of communities to offer support to survivors of Organized Violence and Torture (OVT) in their Organized Violence and Torture (OVT) in their communities.communities.

• To counsel spouses of SOSA, so that they may To counsel spouses of SOSA, so that they may be able to provide the much needed emotional be able to provide the much needed emotional support to the SOSA women.support to the SOSA women.

MethodologyMethodology

• A keynote address was done by the Minister A keynote address was done by the Minister of Gender and Women’s Affairs who noted of Gender and Women’s Affairs who noted how women and other vulnerable members how women and other vulnerable members of society become easy prey for politically of society become easy prey for politically motivated violence.motivated violence.

• Survivors shared the traumatic rape Survivors shared the traumatic rape incidents in groups. They explored thoughts, incidents in groups. They explored thoughts, feelings and reactions before, during and feelings and reactions before, during and after the rape. after the rape.

MethodologyMethodology

• Psycho-education on rape followed. Psycho-education on rape followed. • Care and support skills training were supplied to Care and support skills training were supplied to

survivors and male counsellors.survivors and male counsellors.• The objectives of these workshops were carried The objectives of these workshops were carried

out through group discussions, role plays and out through group discussions, role plays and multi media presentation. multi media presentation.

• Participants were divided into small teams. Each Participants were divided into small teams. Each team was given a specific topic to work on. The team was given a specific topic to work on. The topics were as follows: Definition of counselling; topics were as follows: Definition of counselling; Qualities of a counsellor and the Dos and Don’ts of Qualities of a counsellor and the Dos and Don’ts of counselling. After about 20 minutes of small group counselling. After about 20 minutes of small group discussions, participants made presentations to discussions, participants made presentations to the rest of the participants through a team leader.the rest of the participants through a team leader.

MethodologyMethodology

• Role plays on conducting a counselling Role plays on conducting a counselling session were done. The participants were session were done. The participants were given scenarios which they role played. given scenarios which they role played. The participants volunteered to take up The participants volunteered to take up the roles of counsellor and client. They the roles of counsellor and client. They enacted the four main stages of enacted the four main stages of counselling namely the trust building and counselling namely the trust building and establishing a relationship, exploration establishing a relationship, exploration (understanding the problem), resolution (understanding the problem), resolution (decision making) and termination. A (decision making) and termination. A different pair did each of the stages using different pair did each of the stages using the same case scenario.the same case scenario.

ProgressProgress

• A total of three workshops were A total of three workshops were conducted for SOSA women. One conducted for SOSA women. One Support Skills Training workshop was Support Skills Training workshop was done with lay male counselors. These done with lay male counselors. These male counselors were to offer male counselors were to offer counselling and support to the counselling and support to the spouses of SOSA women. spouses of SOSA women.

ProgressProgress

Initial workshopsInitial workshops

• Participants shared traumatic experiences Participants shared traumatic experiences resulting in emotional catharsis.resulting in emotional catharsis.

• Psycho education, experience of universality and Psycho education, experience of universality and group support were fostered. Reframing of group support were fostered. Reframing of trauma done and this facilitated moving on with trauma done and this facilitated moving on with LifeLife

• Support group concept introduced clients Support group concept introduced clients challenged to form support groups in their challenged to form support groups in their communitiescommunities

ProgressProgress

Subsequent meetingsSubsequent meetings

• Reviewed participants progress on healing and Reviewed participants progress on healing and implementation of support groups.implementation of support groups.

• Participants reported coping emotionally better but Participants reported coping emotionally better but coping hindered by spouses who failed to support coping hindered by spouses who failed to support then but instead ridiculed them and blamed them then but instead ridiculed them and blamed them for abuse.for abuse.

• Participants requested counselling for their spouses.Participants requested counselling for their spouses.• Support groups had been implemented successfully.Support groups had been implemented successfully.

• Support Skills Training of male Support Skills Training of male counselors. These counselors were to counselors. These counselors were to provide counselling to the spouses of provide counselling to the spouses of SOSA.SOSA.

• Trained male counselors provided Trained male counselors provided counselling to the spouses of the women. counselling to the spouses of the women.

• Most women reported improvement in Most women reported improvement in relationship with spouses.relationship with spouses.

Outcomes so farOutcomes so far

• The survivors have already started to The survivors have already started to use the skills that they acquired to use the skills that they acquired to provide psychosocial support to provide psychosocial support to other women in their communities other women in their communities and are referring others to CSU. By and are referring others to CSU. By training these women, CSU has also training these women, CSU has also widened its referral network.widened its referral network.

• Other organisations have assisted Other organisations have assisted the women in starting up poultry the women in starting up poultry projects. It is hoped that money projects. It is hoped that money generated from the projects will help generated from the projects will help in meeting the financial needs of the in meeting the financial needs of the women. CSU will assist in monitoring women. CSU will assist in monitoring the poultry projects as they will also the poultry projects as they will also provide space for peer support.provide space for peer support.

• It is also planned that CSU will work with It is also planned that CSU will work with Musasa Project (Domestic Violence) provide Musasa Project (Domestic Violence) provide continued community psychosocial support continued community psychosocial support to the SOSA women. Musasa Project is to the SOSA women. Musasa Project is currently working on a project to assist currently working on a project to assist female survivors of domestic violence. It is female survivors of domestic violence. It is envisioned that Musasa Project will provide envisioned that Musasa Project will provide the necessary psychosocial support of the necessary psychosocial support of these women (Extra-domestic violence) in these women (Extra-domestic violence) in their respective communities.their respective communities.

Thank you!Thank you!