Unbreakable:
the resilience and triumph of haitian women through trauma and adversity
March 2025 | written By: Dr. Erlange Elisme
In the face of unspeakable hardship, they stand tall. Through generations of political violence, natural disasters, and systemic inequality, they rebuild. Despite trauma that would shatter most spirits, they rise each morning to forge a path forward—not just for themselves, but for their families, communities, and nation. Haitian women embody a resilience so profound it transcends mere survival; it transforms pain into power.
Bearing Witness to Trauma
The story of Haitian women cannot be told without acknowledging the layers of trauma embedded in their collective experience. In Haiti, many have witnessed political assassinations, survived devastating earthquakes that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, endured hurricanes that wiped out homes and livelihoods, and navigated gang violence that makes daily existence a perilous journey. The psychological toll of living in a constant state of insecurity—wondering if your children will eat tomorrow or if you'll make it home safely—creates wounds that run deep.
For those in the diaspora, trauma takes different forms: the ache of displacement, the struggle to assimilate while preserving cultural identity, the burden of supporting family back home while building a life abroad, and the persistent sting of discrimination. Many arrived in new countries with nothing but determination, forced to leave behind education credentials, professional status, and family connections to start anew.
A former teacher from Port-au-Prince who now cleans hotel rooms in Miami carries this reality daily: "I had a classroom of my own. Now I make beds while studying English at night. My children will never know the Haiti I loved, only the one I had to flee."
The Unacknowledged Pillars of Survival
Despite these traumas, or perhaps because of them, Haitian women have developed extraordinary coping mechanisms. The Madan Sara, Haiti's network of female market traders, navigate treacherous roads carrying goods on their heads, often sleeping at markets to guard their inventory, all while facing the threat of robbery or assault. Their bodies bear the physical evidence of this labor. Their backs bent from carrying heavy loads, hands calloused from years of work, yet they persist, ensuring their children can attend school and dream of possibilities beyond their reach.
In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people, it was women who established makeshift schools in tent cities, created informal healthcare networks, and maintained community cohesion amid unimaginable loss. They did this while processing their own grief and trauma, often without mental health support or even acknowledgment of their psychological needs.
Bearing Witness to Trauma
The story of Haitian women cannot be told without acknowledging the layers of trauma embedded in their collective experience. In Haiti, many have witnessed political assassinations, survived devastating earthquakes that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, endured hurricanes that wiped out homes and livelihoods, and navigated gang violence that makes daily existence a perilous journey. The psychological toll of living in a constant state of insecurity—wondering if your children will eat tomorrow or if you'll make it home safely—creates wounds that run deep.
For those in the diaspora, trauma takes different forms: the ache of displacement, the struggle to assimilate while preserving cultural identity, the burden of supporting family back home while building a life abroad, and the persistent sting of discrimination. Many arrived in new countries with nothing but determination, forced to leave behind education credentials, professional status, and family connections to start anew.
A former teacher from Port-au-Prince who now cleans hotel rooms in Miami carries this reality daily: "I had a classroom of my own. Now I make beds while studying English at night. My children will never know the Haiti I loved, only the one I had to flee."
The Unacknowledged Pillars of Survival
Despite these traumas, or perhaps because of them, Haitian women have developed extraordinary coping mechanisms. The Madan Sara, Haiti's network of female market traders, navigate treacherous roads carrying goods on their heads, often sleeping at markets to guard their inventory, all while facing the threat of robbery or assault. Their bodies bear the physical evidence of this labor. Their backs bent from carrying heavy loads, hands calloused from years of work, yet they persist, ensuring their children can attend school and dream of possibilities beyond their reach.
In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people, it was women who established makeshift schools in tent cities, created informal healthcare networks, and maintained community cohesion amid unimaginable loss. They did this while processing their own grief and trauma, often without mental health support or even acknowledgment of their psychological needs.
From Survival to Leadership
What makes Haitian women truly remarkable is their ability to transform survival skills into leadership. Using trauma-informed approaches they developed intuitively, long before such terminology existed in professional spaces, they've created systems of mutual aid, community banking, and mentorship that sustain entire communities.
A healthcare professional who escaped political violence in the 1990s and now leads a community health initiative in Boston explains: "We don't just overcome trauma; we use it as a lens to identify needs others might miss. When you've experienced profound loss, you develop an ability to recognize suffering in others and an urgency to address it."
This trauma-informed leadership manifests in remarkable achievements:
The Cost of Resilience
Yet this narrative of strength comes at a cost. The expectation of unwavering resilience creates a burden that can prevent Haitian women from seeking help when needed. The "strong Black woman" trope, particularly damaging for Haitian women, often means their own trauma goes unaddressed while they care for everyone else.
"People see my achievements but not my struggles," confides one nonprofit director while battling depression stemming from childhood trauma in Haiti. "I'm expected to be unbreakable, but sometimes I just need permission to be vulnerable."
The chronic stress of navigating systemic barriers takes a physical toll as well, with Haitian women experiencing higher rates of certain health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and maternal mortality—examples of how trauma becomes embodied when left unaddressed.
Honoring Resilience While Creating Support
To truly honor Haitian women on International Women's Day means acknowledging both their extraordinary strength and their need for support systems that recognize their humanity in its fullness.
This requires:
What makes Haitian women truly remarkable is their ability to transform survival skills into leadership. Using trauma-informed approaches they developed intuitively, long before such terminology existed in professional spaces, they've created systems of mutual aid, community banking, and mentorship that sustain entire communities.
A healthcare professional who escaped political violence in the 1990s and now leads a community health initiative in Boston explains: "We don't just overcome trauma; we use it as a lens to identify needs others might miss. When you've experienced profound loss, you develop an ability to recognize suffering in others and an urgency to address it."
This trauma-informed leadership manifests in remarkable achievements:
- Haitian women earn college degrees at higher rates than their male counterparts in the diaspora, often while working multiple jobs and raising families
- They establish businesses with lower failure rates than the national average, creating economic security for extended families
- They maintain transnational support networks that function as safety nets for communities both in Haiti and abroad
- They lead grassroots organizations addressing everything from gender-based violence to educational access
The Cost of Resilience
Yet this narrative of strength comes at a cost. The expectation of unwavering resilience creates a burden that can prevent Haitian women from seeking help when needed. The "strong Black woman" trope, particularly damaging for Haitian women, often means their own trauma goes unaddressed while they care for everyone else.
"People see my achievements but not my struggles," confides one nonprofit director while battling depression stemming from childhood trauma in Haiti. "I'm expected to be unbreakable, but sometimes I just need permission to be vulnerable."
The chronic stress of navigating systemic barriers takes a physical toll as well, with Haitian women experiencing higher rates of certain health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and maternal mortality—examples of how trauma becomes embodied when left unaddressed.
Honoring Resilience While Creating Support
To truly honor Haitian women on International Women's Day means acknowledging both their extraordinary strength and their need for support systems that recognize their humanity in its fullness.
This requires:
- Creating culturally responsive mental health services that understand the Haitian experience
- Developing economic opportunities that build on their entrepreneurial skills while providing sustainable incomes
- Establishing leadership pathways that value their unique perspective as women who have navigated complex traumas
- Recognizing their expertise in community-building as a vital skill in professional settings
- Supporting Haitian-led initiatives rather than imposing external solutions
A Call to Action in Challenging Political Times
As political shifts in America threaten to eliminate crucial programs that support minority communities, we face a critical juncture. Services that Haitian women and girls depend on—from healthcare access to educational opportunities to immigration support—may disappear if we do not take decisive action.
This moment demands that Haitian leaders, professionals, and allies within our communities step forward. We cannot wait for external systems to recognize the value of supporting Haitian women and girls; we must create these support structures ourselves:
The time for relying solely on governmental or institutional support has passed. If we wait for others to create the services our community needs, we may find ourselves waiting indefinitely. Instead, we must leverage the very resilience that defines Haitian women to build sustainable support networks from within.
As one community organizer notes: "They may cut the programs, but they cannot cut our determination to care for our own. What the government will not provide, we will create for ourselves, as we have always done."
A Legacy of Transformation
From Haiti's revolution, where women like Cécile Fatiman and Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière fought alongside men for independence, to today's human rights defenders like Malya Villard-Appolon, who supports survivors of sexual violence, Haitian women have led movements for change. Through generations, they have transformed personal and collective trauma into powerful advocacy for justice.
They exemplify what trauma specialists call "post-traumatic growth"—the ability to not merely survive adversity but to emerge from it with greater purpose and wisdom. Their legacy isn't just one of endurance; it's one of transformation—turning pain into power, obstacles into opportunities, and trauma into triumph.
As we celebrate their achievements, let us commit to creating systems where Haitian women's resilience is supported rather than exploited, where their trauma receives healing rather than indifference, and where their leadership is elevated rather than overlooked.
For in their unbreakable spirit lies not just the story of Haiti, but a blueprint for how humanity can face its deepest wounds and still rise, still hope, still build a future worthy of our dreams.
Happy Women's Month to these extraordinary bearers of resilience, wisdom, and transformative power. May we honor their journeys not just with celebration, but with the commitment to create a world where such strength is matched by the support it deserves.
As political shifts in America threaten to eliminate crucial programs that support minority communities, we face a critical juncture. Services that Haitian women and girls depend on—from healthcare access to educational opportunities to immigration support—may disappear if we do not take decisive action.
This moment demands that Haitian leaders, professionals, and allies within our communities step forward. We cannot wait for external systems to recognize the value of supporting Haitian women and girls; we must create these support structures ourselves:
- Haitian healthcare professionals can establish community clinics offering trauma-informed care
- Haitian educators can develop mentorship programs specifically addressing the needs of young Haitian girls
- Haitian business owners can create apprenticeship opportunities that build economic independence
- Haitian mental health professionals can offer culturally appropriate counseling services
- Haitian legal experts can provide guidance through increasingly complex immigration and social service systems
The time for relying solely on governmental or institutional support has passed. If we wait for others to create the services our community needs, we may find ourselves waiting indefinitely. Instead, we must leverage the very resilience that defines Haitian women to build sustainable support networks from within.
As one community organizer notes: "They may cut the programs, but they cannot cut our determination to care for our own. What the government will not provide, we will create for ourselves, as we have always done."
A Legacy of Transformation
From Haiti's revolution, where women like Cécile Fatiman and Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière fought alongside men for independence, to today's human rights defenders like Malya Villard-Appolon, who supports survivors of sexual violence, Haitian women have led movements for change. Through generations, they have transformed personal and collective trauma into powerful advocacy for justice.
They exemplify what trauma specialists call "post-traumatic growth"—the ability to not merely survive adversity but to emerge from it with greater purpose and wisdom. Their legacy isn't just one of endurance; it's one of transformation—turning pain into power, obstacles into opportunities, and trauma into triumph.
As we celebrate their achievements, let us commit to creating systems where Haitian women's resilience is supported rather than exploited, where their trauma receives healing rather than indifference, and where their leadership is elevated rather than overlooked.
For in their unbreakable spirit lies not just the story of Haiti, but a blueprint for how humanity can face its deepest wounds and still rise, still hope, still build a future worthy of our dreams.
Happy Women's Month to these extraordinary bearers of resilience, wisdom, and transformative power. May we honor their journeys not just with celebration, but with the commitment to create a world where such strength is matched by the support it deserves.
Dr. Erlange Elisme, DSW
CEO / Owner & Author
Website: https://elismeconsultingservices.com
Phone number: 678-595-6446
Email: [email protected]
CEO / Owner & Author
Website: https://elismeconsultingservices.com
Phone number: 678-595-6446
Email: [email protected]