ABSTRACT
Rape is a common occurrence during genocide, and dealing with its effects poses a challenge to post-genocide recovery processes. This chapter treats women survivors of rape resulting from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi as a separate category of survivors and explores the contribution of social sharing of personal stories in a safe space in their recovery. It is based upon a study that included survivors of genocidal rape who were purposively selected from the southern provinces of Rwanda. Qualitative analysis of individual interviews and focus groups provided a means to explore in-depth the perceptions of rape and the value of sharing of personal stories in a safe space. It was found that women who were raped during genocide experienced challenges, such as isolation, especially before joining the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève Project. Social stigma related to rape created challenges, as did the lack of psychosocial resources for the women to reveal their experiences. However, despite these and other difficulties, social sharing of emotion in a safe space has played a positive role for many women, often providing a reason to live again after the genocide. These findings show that positive experiences of social sharing of personal stories in a safe space can be key to the recovery of survivors of genocidal rape in Rwanda, and points to future directions for research and health promotion among populations affected by conflict-related sexual violence.
