Wartime captivity and homecoming: culture, stigma, and coping strategies of formerly abducted women in post-conflict northern Uganda

One of the three durable solutions to mass displacement preferred by leading agencies is that survivors return to their home communities. It is believed that families and communities provide the best hope for recovery and reintegration owing to familiarity, care, and shared culture. Yet, these 'places of hope and comfort' can also be, potentially, a hostile environment in which stigma can flourish. Women who were abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda find that achieving meaningful reintegration into their communities is a distant prospect despite being the home culture they once shared. The stigmatisation of formerly abducted persons by home community members who have never been abducted renders them 'outsiders' upon return. Meaningful relationships with fellow community members and access to cultural, social, and economic systems are hampered by the women's traumatic past. This experience has significant implications for these women, negotiating their journey to recovery and reintegration into home communities.

Automated summary

One of the three durable solutions to mass displacement is the return of survivors to their home communities. However, these 'places of hope and comfort' can become a potentially hostile environment in which stigma thrives, hindering meaningful reintegration. Women in northern Uganda who were abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army find it difficult to reintegrate despite their shared home culture, as they are stigmatized by community members who have never experienced abduction, making them feel like outsiders.