Addressing Rape in the Congo

A Congolese woman recovers at a hospital in Goma, DRC. Photo: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/endrevestvik/2373350227/">Endre Vestvik (flickr)</a>
A Congolese woman recovers at a hospital in Goma, DRC. Photo: Endre Vestvik (flickr)

Congo has the world's biggest deposits of gold, copper, diamonds, and tin. Its dramatic mountain landscapes once inspired Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn’s romantic saga in The African Queen.

But that was before Congo’s internal conflicts drove foreign investors and tourists out of the region, dramatically reducing economic output and government revenue.

In the last decade, more people have died in the DRC than in Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur combined. Political initiatives by Africa, the West and the UN — including the deployment of more UN peacekeeping troops than any other nation in the world — has failed to stop the fighting and protect the lives of Congolese civilians.

If there's a bright spot, it's that humanitarians are highlighting what UN officials call the "worst sexual violence in the world."

In the last ten years, hundreds of thousands of women have been raped. But it received little recognition from the government and there were few prosecutions. Now, European aid agencies and the UN are spending millions of dollars building courthouses and prisons to punish rapists. Mobile courts are holding rape trials in the hard-to-reach villages. And the government is paying for Congolese investigators to travel to Europe to learn "CSI"-style forensic techniques.

The results are seen in towns like Bunia, where rape prosecutions have increased 600 percent in five years. There are organizations like Women for Women, which teaches rape survivors how to read and write, cook, make soap and other skills that could empower them to be financially independent. Grassroots campaigns are encouraging rape victims to speak out in open forums.

These signs provide some hope that amid Congo's chaos, there's at least a chance for positive change.

Comments

in Portland, OR

American Bar Association in the Congo

I really recommend that people take a minute to read Jeffrey Gettleman's article, "Rape Victims’ Words Help Jolt Congo Into Change" in the New York Times that you link to here. I found it particularly interesting that the American Bar Association has opened a legal clinic in the Congo to help rape victims bring their cases to trial. You can learn more about the American Bar Association's Congo program here. I had no idea that the American Bar Association was involved in such programs and I think it's fantastic.

in USA

It is pretty frightening that

It is pretty frightening that phrases like "hope amid Congo's chaos" can be used to refer to one of the worst epidemics of rape ever recorded. In a country where the police and military forces are as violent, if not more so, as documented criminals against those they are sworn to protect, how can any of these steps towards institutionalizing rape-prevention mechanisms be guaranteed to have any effect? What can be done in a country that has been ripped apart from the inside and out almost every decade since we began to consider it a comprehensive state? In DRC, violence has been a way of life since Europeans first began to journey into its heart - will "CSI-style forensic techniques" really have any impact in uprooting some of the despicable, yet quotidian, practices that have become a way of life? I don't know who could hope to answer that.

in Portland, OR

I agree, it's hard to see any

I agree, it's hard to see any hope in the Congo — as both government troops adn rebel forces continue to terrorize women and children. However, when I read about Congolese women holding a mass protest for peace and protection, I think the term "hope" is just about right.

The increase in violence against women has galvanised the women of Goma into action in an effort to make their voice heard. In February this year, ActionAid set up SAUTI (Sauti ya Mwanamke Mkongomani) which means Voices of the Women of Congo, to bring together the various women’s groups based in Goma.

“The protest signifies the bravery and commitment of women to speak out against rape and assault. The event will include speeches and silent contemplation, and SAUTI have asked attendees to wear black in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion.”

in ...

...

Great site.

in Malaysia

It is scary

To learn how they survive all the obstacles...it is quite scary ....yet the could smile at the end of the day.....i really admire their strong will and they really put their heart out....I hope they will be OK one day....

Post new comment

Your email address is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <blockquote>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.

Stories We're Watching

More African nations hit agricultural investment target

Science and Development Network - Wed, 05/16/2012 - 10:45
Five more African countries have met the Maputo Declaration goal of investing ten per cent of their national budgets in agriculture.

How research for agricultural innovation works best

Science and Development Network - Wed, 05/16/2012 - 10:25
Farming projects must be able to access research at any point along the innovation trajectory, say Rasheed Sulaiman V. and colleagues.

Pakistan needs a new crop forecasting system

Science and Development Network - Wed, 05/16/2012 - 03:48
Pakistan urgently needs to refine its crop yield forecasting and estimation system to improve food production, says Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar.

A developing world of debt

The Guardian's Poverty Matters - Wed, 05/16/2012 - 03:00
More than a decade after the cancellation of billions of dollars of debt, developing countries owe $4tn … and counting.

Migrants: An Economic Force in Tajikistan

Economists usually enjoy working on economic data and writing up reports. But Sudharshan Canagarajah also likes giving conventional economic thinking a nudge — in this case, on migration.

Recent comments

Countries

An initiative of Mercy Corps
“You must be the change
you wish to see in the world”
Mahatma Gandhi
Learn more about Mercy Corps >

Efficiency

Over the last five years, more than 89% of Mercy Corps' resources have been allocated directly to programs

Excellence

America's premier charity evaluator gives Mercy Corps four stars in organizational efficiency. Click here to learn more.

High Value

Every dollar you donate to Mercy Corps helps us secure $11.16 in donated food and other critical supplies.

Mercy Corps — Dept. W — 45 SW Ankeny — Portland, OR 97204
All original content Copyright © 2009 Mercy Corps. Quoted and linked content is property of the creator(s). Mercy Corps will not sell, rent or trade your personal information.