Women, who often shoulder both individual and family responsibilities, such as caring for children, are especially vulnerable during times of crisis, said Dora Byamukama, a legal expert at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). Byamukama said this at the start of a workshop on the integration of mental health, psychosocial support, and peace-building initiatives aimed at combating sexual and gender-based violence in the Great Lakes region, running from February 4-7. ALSO READ: Rwanda steps up mental health efforts to combat suicide Byamukama said the workshop will highlight the need for greater sensitivity when addressing these issues, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and persons with disabilities. She pointed out that the vulnerabilities faced by women are compounded when they are already in precarious situations. This increases their vulnerability. Persons with disabilities are also at heightened risk due to both physiological factors and societal attitudes. The way we treat people with mental health issues might also worsen their situation, as they are often subjected to derogatory treatment, she added. ALSO READ: Understanding behavioral changes, building supportive relationships Byamukama emphasised the importance of language when discussing mental health, saying, “The language we use matters. We need to be more sensitive when addressing mental health issues. One of the key aims of the workshop, Byamukama explained, is to broaden the understanding that while physical scars from sexual and gender-based violence are often visible, the mental health impact is frequently overlooked. When someone suffers from sexual and gender-based violence, we often consider the physical scars but overlook the mental health aspect of it. We are telling lawyers to be sensitive to the emotional state of the people they work with. They should be trauma-informed and victim-centred, she added. Byamukama also noted the wider impact of the training, explaining that those who attend will train other professionals from institutions such as the police, judiciary, health sector, schools, and religious groups. ALSO READ: Mental health: Calls grow for improved services in hospitals Moses Mukasa Bwesige, a mental health expert and a trainer said, Participants will influence policy design and emphasise the need to integrate mental health and psychosocial support into wider frameworks. This knowledge will shape policies that directly affect local actors, ensuring they are better equipped to address mental health needs. Bwesige also noted the significance of addressing transgenerational trauma, particularly in post-conflict societies like Rwanda, where past experiences of victimisation continue to affect communities. We will focus on how to engage with populations who have been wounded by past conflicts, helping them heal and move forward in the context of a new Rwanda, he explained. One of Bwesige’s key expectations from the workshop is that participants will integrate this knowledge into their professional and community-based work. We hope participants will take this knowledge back to their communities and apply it in their roles, helping vulnerable populations,” he said. He further emphasised the importance of addressing psychological scars, stressing that mental health support is crucial for individuals to fully engage in peace-building processes. Diogene Karangwa, a trainer from the Institute for Community-Based Sociotherapy, shared insights from research conducted by the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in 2020, which found that 25% of the population faces mental health challenges. A lot has been done to reduce this number, but there is still more work to be done, he said. Karangwa explained that the goal of the workshop is to develop a concrete action plan. We need to create a strategy that builds on previous efforts, ensuring that when we return for future workshops, we can measure the progress and achievements based on the goals we set during these sessions, he said.
