Healing from trauma is one of the key aspects of achieving women's and girls empowerment.

This is according to speakers at a women's and girls empowerment conference at Walvis Bay, who have expressed concern over the effects of trauma on the community.

Established in 2014, the Healing Wound Association offers, among other things, psychosocial support and education on mental health in the Erongo Region.

The association hosted a two-day conference for women and girls at Walvis Bay to empower and equip them with skills to advance in society.

Medical doctor Gloria Behr says it is important to identify trauma because, if left unresolved, it can prevent an individual from progressing in life.

She urged the crowd to look out for signs of trauma, which include a loss of appetite for life and food, anxiety, lack of sleep, constant worry, and guilt.

Trauma is described as any experience that overwhelms a person to the point where they cannot cope with a situation.

Trauma survivor Memory Eises says she was in an abusive marriage for three years, and as a result, her five-year-old son was murdered this year by her then-husband.

Another trauma survivor, Justine Gaoses, shared her story about abusive relationships and how she got psychosocial support from the founder of the Healing Wound Association, Florence Tchisuku.