ABSTRACT
Sexual violence is a public health concern crossing cultural lines and disproportionately impacting women across development. Drawing from research and highly publicized sexual assault cases in the media, we describe disparities and social injustices that women encounter in the pursuit of a just outcome in contexts of patriarchal privilege while simultaneously coping with mental, physical, cognitive, and social post-assault adjustments that impact everyday life. This chapter outlines post-assault non-death losses, grief, mourning, and sources of trauma for female victim-survivors. The chapter describes ways in which female survivors and allies have capitalized on their individual and collective strengths to foster survival and resilience through loss. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
