Trauma and “spiritual resilience” among Internally Displaced Women (IDW) victims of violence in the commune of Dédougou, Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Context
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been ravaged by the violence of armed
terrorist groups (JNIM, EIGS), resulting in over 2 million internally
displaced persons. In the Boucle du Mouhoun region, 63.17% of
internally displaced persons (IDPs) are women (84,649 out of 133,994
in 2023). As prime targets of armed conflict, they suffer multifaceted
violence used as a weapon of psychological warfare against
communities.
Methods
The study uses a convergent mixed-methods design conducted in
October 2023 in the commune of Dédougou. The total sample size is
1,056 participants, including 1,015 IDPs surveyed using a digital
questionnaire (KoboToolbox) and 41 individuals interviewed through
semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using
IBM SPSS 20, and qualitative data through thematic analysis.
Results
The profile of the IDF reveals a majority of female farmers (51.4%),
married (74.8%) or widowed (15.2%), with 43.9% having 4 to 6
dependent children. Statistically significant correlations were
established between the year of displacement and physical (r = 0.074;
p = 0.019) and psychological (r = 0.072; p = 0.022) violence. Nearly 46.3% of the IDF lost a loved one in horrific circumstances (throat-slitting, immolation, mass executions), resulting in severe post￾traumatic stress disorder: chronic insomnia, flashbacks, mutism, and
suicidal ideation. Faced with this trauma, prayer (39.74%) and silence
(23.36%) constituted the main coping strategies. Despite the free
psychological support provided by NGOs, the vast majority of IDFs do
not access it, hampered by a lack of awareness of the services, their
geographical dispersion, and a negative perception of psychological
care.
Conclusion
These results call for culturally grounded psychosocial interventions
that integrate the spiritual dimension into therapeutic protocols and
prioritize isolated widows and women with significant family
responsibilities.

Mots-clés

Internally displaced women, violence, trauma, psychological care, Burkina Faso, spiritual resilience