Tammy Kavirayan’s ‘Shattered’: a raw account of survival and resilience in the face of GBV

Tammy Kavirayan’s “Shattered” breaks the silence on the national crisis which is GBV. For 32 years, Tammy Kavirayan lived a double life. To the world, she was a successful attorney and mother of five, but behind closed doors, she endured “unimaginable pain and torture”.

Now, the former Pietermaritzburg resident is reclaiming her narrative with her debut memoir, “Shattered”, a raw, unfiltered truth she wrote because she feared she wouldn’t survive long enough to tell it. Kavirayan’s decision to speak out comes from a desire to fill a massive gap in how we talk aboutgender-based violence and femicide(GBVF). While news reports often focus on those who have lost their lives, Kavirayan points out that the stories of survivors, and the way they are often mocked by the justice system, are rarely heard.

“No one tells our story of the struggle to obtain help from the police and justice system in South Africa, or of the fact that we are mocked and ridiculed for speaking out,” said Kavirayan. Encouraged by a friend, she decided to use her personal trauma to help others who feel trapped in similar situations. “‘Shattered’ was born out of a very personal journey.

[paywall]

For a long time, I carried my story quietly, but a close friend encouraged me to share it, not only as part of my healing, but to help others who might feel alone in similar situations. “I realised that many people don’t always recognise abuse because it often hides behind charm and control. I wrote ‘Shattered’ to shine a light on those hidden realities and to show that survival and healing are possible.

“More than anything, I wanted the book to offer hope, raise awareness about GBV, and remind readers that their voices matter and that they are not alone.” She says her primary reason for fighting is her children. As a mother of five, she refused to let them grow up in a home where fear was normal. “They were my strength when I felt I had none left, and my hope when everything felt dark.

I did not want them to grow up in an environment where pain and fear felt normal. I chose to survive so I could give them what every child deserves. Safety, love and peace.” This survival came at a high price as writing the book was a gruelling experience, especially the chapters regarding the loss of her twins and her mother’s murder.

[/paywall]