As A Result of War and Communal Violence
“I cannot take it anymore!”…
This is the expression of the majority of women who are suffering from violence and life troubles, especially in societies affected by wars and conflicts and which are poverty-stricken, such as the case of Syria.
United Nations indicators in 2022 showed that 37% of Arab women were subject to some kind of violence in their life. In addition, there are indicators that this ratio could be higher in some countries.
In Syria, displaced girls and women are exposed particularly to danger across the country. As there are about 3 million people were displaced within the country, and 80% of them are women and children.
Those circumstances still since years, which lead Syrian women to suffer from restrictions and big challenges in accessing basic health and social care and in having means of life, in addition to issues with mobility and losing security. This whole thing besides communal violence based on gender, and what women are exposed to from all means of discrimination and violence there as any other society.
Psychological effects.
Increased life stressors, all means of violence caused by society and conflict parties, and war consequences such as killing, destruction, disappearance, and injuries, all contribute significantly to increasing psychological disorders for different categories of society, particularly women.
The outcome of these stressors is released in the form of temper tantrums, episodes of sadness, depressive episodes, post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep difficulties, suicidal thoughts, etc.
In the case of neglect of psychological support, the whole family would be in danger, as the psychological and physical effects, could reflect directly on children, spouse, and people around.
Supporting woman’s mental health interventions.
Under the incapability of reaching radical solutions for a variety of troubles and violence kinds which woman suffers, it is essential to take fast, serious, and effective procedures to support woman’s mental health, and such efforts shall be integrated among various organizations of the civil society.
Therefore, women in this situation need psychological support to recover and be freed from the effects of their living circumstances. This psychological support can be very effective in providing emotional and psychological support for women and may encourage them to improve their psychological and physical health and achieve emotional stability.
Kinds of women’s psychological support that society organizations could provide:
- Talking with a counselor: through dealing with psychologists and social workers who are eligible to work with violence and war victims, aiming to provide support and orientation in dealing with mixed and tough emotions experienced by women.
- Joining support groups: these different groups could be very helpful for women who are psychologically suffering, by talking to others who experienced similar circumstances.
- Accessing the available resources: society organizations have the duty to provide basic resources for supporting women’s psychological and physical health, such as medical facilities, psychological support hubs, and secure clinics.
- Taking care of physical health: guide women to increase their attention to physical health, by practicing walking or sports and by good nutrition, which could help the efforts of psychological support significantly.
- Awareness and training: women should be aware of their rights, and have training on improving their life skills, which can reduce the possibility of violence persistence exposed to women; this also could guide them to proper handling of challenges.
- Cooperating with society: non-governmental organizations have a great role in training those who work in various society’s institutions, on non-discrimination when dealing with women negatively, and give attention to their particular psychological needs, to support their health in general.