Women as political participants: Psychosocial postconflict recovery in Peru.

Abstract

This article presents preliminary findings on the effectiveness of postconflict recovery strategies, one of which is political activism. I describe Peru's experience to illustrate how mental health professionals adopt a more holistic view of psychosocial healing within the reparations framework established by Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I then illustrate how this model meets the particular needs of women who survived the conflict and are now reclaiming their mental well-being through political activism. The short-term evaluation of this approach reveals that it benefits this population both through raising their self-esteem and by involving them in policy decisions that directly affect their lives.

Collective memories of political violence of health-care providers in Ayacucho, Perú

“…In addition, the TRC verified that overcoming the scares that the IAC left in the population would be possible not only through the clarification of events, and justice (CVR, 2003), but also through the acknowledgement of the diverse memories of this period, especially concerning the most intensely affected populations (Asociación Nacional de Familiares de Secuestrados, Detenidos y Desaparecidos del Perú [ANFASEP], 2007). This implies that restoration proposals and policies should consider an interdisciplinary approach, and address the diverse collective narratives and representations of the conflict, in order to create the conditions for justice and recovery from psychosocial trauma caused by violence, with an eye to national reconciliation (Instituto Especializado de Salud Mental, 2004;Laplante, 2007; Programa de Apoyo a la Modernización del Sector Salud y su Implementación en una Región del Perú [AMARES] & Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos [CNDDHH], 2006;Taboada, 2008).…”

“…In Peru, violence has left wounds that prevent people from establishing interpersonal bonds of trust and solidarity, making it difficult for them to keep social support networks that allow them to overcome the effects of conflict, and in general, to face and transform the extreme poverty and marginalization in which they still live (CVR, 2004;Laplante, 2007). People directly exposed to violence may have persistent feelings of sadness, irritability and fear, psychological disorders and eating disorders, as well as a desire to die, difficulties studying and working, physical symptoms like headaches, panic attacks, muscular and stomach aches, fainting, and body weakness (CVR, 2003;Pedersen, 2009).…”

Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: Supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia

“…Solidarity has the opportunity to manage emotional distress through shared recognition; collective action to respond to the lack of social opportunity in their lives; and achievement of political guarantees and security through mobilising (Campbell, 2019). Such actions have important implications for mental health which has been seen in other Latin American contexts (Laplante, 2007;Ankerman et al, 2005).…”

The Messy Practice of Building Women's Human Rights: Truth‐telling and Sexual Violence inGuatemala

“…Since the 1990s, a range of approaches to gender violence has been adopted in various similar processes. These derive from the notion that, without such measures, women only talk about violations affecting others (Laplante, , p. 315; Nesiah, , p. 17). Many believe women prefer speaking about sexual violence with other women and that putting rape explicitly on questionnaires (accompanied by appropriate training of workers) increases the possibility of collecting testimony about it.…”