Women and trauma: The impact of Boko Haram insurgency in Michika Adamawa state, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed to find out the impact of the Boko Haran Insurgency on women survivors in Michika Adamawa state, Nigeria. Boko Haram insurgency has caused heaps of havoc and negative impacts on Nigerian societies, and most especially in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa state, many lives were lost, and properties were destroyed. The insurgents left many survivors with scars on their minds and traumatised. Many women have become widows. They were sexually abused, raped, oppressed, displaced, forced into marriage, and forced to accept other religions; some even witnessed the assassinations of their husbands and were traumatised. This paper adopts both narrative and library sources through the use of interviews and focus Group Discussions. This study has investigated and observed the severe impact of Boko Haram activity's negative effects on women. The study hypothesises that holistic trauma counselling is an effective therapy that will cure the soul and provide relief to the mind of the traumatised. The study finds out that many women have experienced different forms of trauma. The study concludes that many women and girls in our culture may appear to be fine on the surface. Still, they silently suffer from melancholy, tension, and hopelessness due to their encounters with terrorists. Pastoral caregivers should work with therapists from diverse areas to establish a strong trauma healing team capable of dealing with all trauma cases. This paper recommends that religious leaders have a greater role than anyone else in providing comfort, recovery, empowerment, and fairness for the survivors.