Introduction: Narrating and Translating Sexual Violence in Wartime in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region

Abstract This article is part of a larger project that explores the phenomenon of sexual violence as a weapon of war in the MENA region. In particular, it demonstrates the “untranslatability” of memories of rape in the Algerian Civil War—that is, both the inability to put into words this experience of trauma and the challenge of translating testimonies from the many languages used in Algeria into Arabic. The importance of translating this issue stems from the multilingual nature of the region, Algeria in particular, and the need to bridge the gap in knowledge between what is published in these languages. The key findings of this research relate to the relationship between language, narration, and memories of violence and the effect of (national) silence on the individual's experience of trauma. Women's empowerment begins by giving them a platform to narrate their stories to complete the missing pages of history. By doing so, women are not only putting the record straight but also helping other women (locally, regionally, and globally) to advance in their just fight against patriarchy, injustice, and inequality.