Healing their Wounds: Guatemalan Refugee Women as Political Activists

Citation:

Light, Deborah. 1992. "Healing their Wounds: Guatemalan Refugee Women as Political Activists." Women & Therapy 13 (3): 297-308.

Author: Deborah Light

Abstract:

Guatemalan refugee women living in the camps of southern Mexico for the past decade have become a remarkable example of self-empowerment despite the severe psychological trauma of the experiences which led to their exile. The successful organization of these women (the majority of whom are of Mayan ethnic identity) into a productive force for social advancement raises interesting questions about the roles of physical, social, and cultural environment in post-traumatic recovery. This article seeks to explore these issues by looking at the activism of Guatemalan refugee women and examining it in the context of their refugee experience.

Keywords: activism, internally displaced, female refugees

Topics: Displacement & Migration, Refugees, Ethnicity, Gender, Women, Governance, Health, Mental Health, PTSD, Trauma, Political Participation, Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Americas, Central America Countries: Guatemala

Year: 1992

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