Woman see a lot of things

During the decade-long civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, many girls were abducted and raped, forcibly recruited, or volunteered for protection. In addition to combat duties,many were subject to sexual abuse; some taken as ‘wives’ by rebel commanders, impregnated and forced to brutalize others.This programme portrays the lives of three female excombatants in post-war Sierra Leone and the psychophysical adjustments they undertake in order to come to terms with their traumas. Anita Jackson, Mahade Pako and Chris Conteh were asked to tell their stories through various modes of performance: talking in different languages, acting out scenes from their past, pointing out key locations on maps, singing and dancing, using animated drawings.The experiences and opinions they share provide encouragement to other women with similar experiences, and give us insights into the problem of child combatants, which is a reality in at least forty other countries.