Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Côte d’Ivoire

Estelle Kouakou, Cote d’Ivoire, “I want my life back”

    BOUAKE

    Untold numbers of women have become victims of sexual violence at the hands of rebel and government forces in Cote d’Ivoire, according to human rights organisations. Estelle Kouakou, 21, is one such woman who told her story to IRIN:

    "When the war began I was living with my grandmother in the village of Afoumossou but she said it would be better if I went to Abidjan [the commercial capital] to be with my brothers.

    "To get there I had to take the train at Bamoro. At the railway station four men came up to me. They had weapons and wore military garb though I don’t know which camp they belonged to.

    "One of them grabbed me by the neck and knocked me to the ground. He and others beat me and then one by one they raped me.

    "It was violent.

    "Since then I have felt bad. I am fearful. I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I’m not the same person that I was before.

    "I have since tested positive for HIV.

    "In Abidjan my family and friends have rejected me. No one wants to eat off the same plate as me. They think even by talking to me they will contract the virus.

    "I feel I’ve lost everything. If I hadn’t been raped I would never have contracted the virus.

    "At first I wanted vengeance. Now I just want help with my health.

    "I want my life back.”

    ha/cb/dh

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join