sexual_violence_right_side_image.jpgSexual Violence

Congo has been deemed the most dangerous place on earth to be a woman.

Thousands of sexual assaults are reported per year in this country and only a handful of rapists are brought to justice. The large-scale epidemic of rape as a weapon of war in Congo has spiraled out of control. Dr. Denis Mukwege at Panzi Hospital - a Women in War Zones partner, has shared stories with international media outlets of women being sadistically raped, foreign objects forcibly shoved into them, and of violence so severe and animal that it leaves the women with destroyed reproductive and digestive systems and fistula - an abnormal opening in the genital area, caused by obstetric problems and sexual violence.

This culture of impunity and complacent acceptance of violence has culminated into rape now being committed by civilians and militia indiscriminately against women of every age and background. Our team works with women and girls from the ages of 16 up to 72. Rape knows not age nor innocence.



What Does That Mean For Congo?

Rape is a weapon of the cruelest kind. It physically and psychologically cripples the women who suffer through it and similarly it destroys the family lives and egos of the men in this very male-centric culture.

Here are just some of the negative effects in Congo of raping its greatest untapped resource:

1. The physical damage it causes to women
2. The rampant spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases and infections
3. Economic downfall. Rape survivors become even less worthwhile in society and in the small job-market. They also have even fewer opportunities to access education and training that would guarantee economic independence than the average woman.
4.  Breakdown of family life. Families are torn apart when matriarchs, daughters and nieces are murdered and/or raped beyond repair.
5. The slow but steady breakdown of society. A society that condones violence against women is doomed. The sheer brutality and prevalence of sexual violence in Congo is just one of many signs of deeper-rooted issues besides just wanton violence.