The last several weeks of media attention to eastern Congo came as a bit of a surprise. After twenty years of documented use of rape as a weapon of war in these parts - unfortunately in many other places as well - I never anticipated the attention that would come from our recent response in Walikale.
When I first learned of it, there were twenty-two cases of rape that had confirmed by our response team. There were also another 4,000 people hiding in fear in the forest. While not atypical of Congo, I still felt that the experience of these women needed to be shared with the wider world to remind people - and inform them in the first place - that rape is still an every day event in Congo. It isn't something that is just going away.
We began drafting up a story, and by the time it was ready to post on our website, the numbers had tragically risen. They continued to rise, as women returned from the forest and sought care at the health centers we support.
The mind boggling figure now stands at 242 women.
To imagine so many women, most of whom reported to have been gang raped by 2-6 assailants in the presence of their husbands and children, is heart breaking. Ranging in age from 16 to 75, these women - who already live in fear of such attacks - have experienced the worst.
While attacks like this have gone on for years, most of the time it doesn't even make the news, none-the-less cause such a media frenzy as it has.
After the news finally broke, the United Nations began to catch flack for it happening within a short distance of their base. When Ban Ki Moon started talking about the issue I was amazed at the reach that telling one story can have. Now action must back up talk.
I can't name all of the media sources that have contacted me for this story. I was live on South African radio yesterday, my friend spotted me in the Turkish newspaper, another in Cleveland, and another in Minnesota. I was contacted by the British, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, American, etc.
I'm a big NPR listener. So while I was on BBC radio, BBC news Channel, and Sky News, I knew I had hit the big time when As it Happens, Canadian Broadcast Company, approached me for an interview that aired on August 26th. Yesterday I followed up with an interview on All Things Considered with Melissa Block.
It was good to have a familiar voice as the interview took an entire hour of dropped skype calls. I thought, now she knows what my poor husband and family feel like! Thank goodness for edits!
Rape anywhere is not an easy subject to talk about, but certainly not on the scale we see here. I remember learning about the issue back in early 2004 from a Congolese friend in DC. I was appalled that the world wasn't up in arms about such horrific rapes occurring; and that I hadn't heard of the details earlier. Now I'm glad to have the opportunity to learn first hand and share with friends, family, and the rest of the world.
Regards,
Miel
Showing posts with label Sexual Violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sexual Violence. Show all posts
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tragedy in Paradise
It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Simply breathtaking.It is also the site of horrific abuses of human rights. The short story is that there have been attacks on a village that I visited back in June, where at least 4,000 people have fled into the forest, and at least 156 cases of rape have been reported in a three day period last week.
This includes everyone from little boys to grandmothers, with most reporting that they were raped by between 2 and 6 men.
I was quoted in the New York Times article, entitled Rwandan Rebels Raped at least 150 Women in Congo.
Miel Hendrickson, a regional director for the International Medical Corps, which has been documenting the rape cases, said, “We had heard first 24 rapes, then 56, then 78, then 96, then 156.”
“The numbers keep rising,” she said.
I've heard already from colleagues of being quoted as well in the Minneapolis and google tells me that folks in Australia are also learning of the tragedies here in DRC. My program coordinator was also featured on a BBC interview a couple of mornings ago, here is the transcript with more details about the incidents.The situation is comprehensible. Such a beautiful place struggling with such difficult circumstances.
Miel
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
So No to Conflict Minerals
HI Folks,
As I've shared many times over, conflict minerals (i.e. your cell phone/laptop/ipod, etc) are fueling conflict here in the DRC. Please do your part by telling electronics companies that you aren't interested in fueling wars and sexual violence.
Peace,
Miel
As I've shared many times over, conflict minerals (i.e. your cell phone/laptop/ipod, etc) are fueling conflict here in the DRC. Please do your part by telling electronics companies that you aren't interested in fueling wars and sexual violence.
Peace,
Miel
Monday, March 1, 2010
Learn More about DR Congo
People are finally listening about what is happening in Congo. Whether it be from signing up to receive blogs like this, whimsical stories about heroes and hope, or documentaries that make you learn more. Listen, and learn more.
There are people every day who do good work. Some who capture your heart or make you laugh. I wanted to share this article in the Huffington Post about several colleagues I work with and cross paths with during my work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are the heroes of development, or the James Bond of development. Those who risk their lives to create hope in a place where women are not safe in their own homes (over half of women raped in DRC were attacked in their own homes at night).
Giorgio Trombatore and I on bridge crossing Congo River near Kisangani
The article is hilarious, particularly when you know the great Italian accent that goes along with it. My sister commented that it brings people into a story that otherwise people might turn away from before hearing the gritty details.
A good friend of mine came across the HBO documentary, Reporter, with Nicholas Kristof. I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but I'm glad my friend watched the film because me, to learn more about what I face each time I head back to Congo. I don't have a TV, so I haven't yet had a chance to check it out, but I've heard good things about it and encourage others to check it out and learn more. I have it saved on Netflix already.
The reality is, places like Congo are very removed from everyday live in North America or Europe. Just learning more and informing yourself about the issues that are happening and the struggles that are being had is a good first step.
Rape Survivors in DRC - photo intentionally obscuring their faces
Miel
There are people every day who do good work. Some who capture your heart or make you laugh. I wanted to share this article in the Huffington Post about several colleagues I work with and cross paths with during my work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are the heroes of development, or the James Bond of development. Those who risk their lives to create hope in a place where women are not safe in their own homes (over half of women raped in DRC were attacked in their own homes at night).
Giorgio Trombatore and I on bridge crossing Congo River near KisanganiThe article is hilarious, particularly when you know the great Italian accent that goes along with it. My sister commented that it brings people into a story that otherwise people might turn away from before hearing the gritty details.
A good friend of mine came across the HBO documentary, Reporter, with Nicholas Kristof. I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but I'm glad my friend watched the film because me, to learn more about what I face each time I head back to Congo. I don't have a TV, so I haven't yet had a chance to check it out, but I've heard good things about it and encourage others to check it out and learn more. I have it saved on Netflix already.
The reality is, places like Congo are very removed from everyday live in North America or Europe. Just learning more and informing yourself about the issues that are happening and the struggles that are being had is a good first step.
Rape Survivors in DRC - photo intentionally obscuring their facesWhen I met recently with a focus group of women in DRC who had been raped, I closed the session by thanking them and letting them know that for a long time the world had scarcely known of the tragedies happening in Congo, that today people are starting to listen. They are starting to hear the stories of women being brutally raped, and they are appalled. It may not be everything, but it is part of bringing hope to the Congo.
Miel
Monday, February 1, 2010
Impunity
Impunity is something that is mentioned often when discussing the issue of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is thrown around at Congressional hearings and discussed at round tables of well-meaning NGO types like myself.
According to the dictionary, it means:
The nightmare that exist here in the Congo is much, much worse than that.
Exempt from punishment doesn't begin to describe. We met last week with a lawyer in Kisangani, the focal point for Sexual and Gender Based Violence - otherwise known as SGBV - a neat and tidy acronym that is used to refer to atrocities of the worst kind against humanity.
About three quarters of the way through the meeting, I paused. Contemplating what to do next. Most often when I'm meeting with a stakeholder of some kind, my aim is to get their opinions and ideas about how to address programmatic issues to ensure that the design of our interventions are sound. In this case it was clear that the solutions were far from within reach.
The basic situation around the legal aspect of sexual violence goes something like this here in DRC. A man attacks a woman on her way back from farm or collecting firewood, a child is molested by their relative or community member, a teen is chosen for marriage by being violently attacked and raped; the scenarios are endless, and all equally disturbing.
From there, most of the time women and girls will say nothing and do nothing. There are medical interventions that can help to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of HIV if the case is reported with 72 hours; this rarely, rarely happens.
It is easier to say nothing. That is unless there are consequences that can't be hidden, such as pregnancy. According to the stats, the number of women that become pregnant due to rape in DRC seem extraordinarily high; unless you realize that this is just because women were more likely to report as they couldn't go on unnoticed by the community.
Dr. Mkwege, who has become famous for his life and disgrace saving interventions to repair traumatic fistula cases, puts it pretty bluntly. Women don't come unless they are bleeding. Unless is it so bad that they can't take it. Otherwise they suffer in silence or deal with it amongst female family members.
If they come forward and they are a woman, they are likely to be thrown out of the house by their husbands and families. There have been cases known where community leaders have forced raped women to walk through the community naked to show their disgrace even more publicly.
If it is a teen aged girl, the consequences are extreme. Culturally the answer is that if a girl comes forward, they will be forced to marry the rapist. Some even say that this is how a man is able to select their wife. If they are able to rape the girl, then she is his; if she gets away then she has refused the marriage.
After the initial ordeal of dealing with the trauma and stigma of being raped, most do not pursue legal prosecution. If they do, the cycle of abuse just really continues further. Hopefully survivors will have access to programs that help provide assistance to pursue prosecution, but these are still few and far between.
If they don't have assistance, they will have to pay for the lawyers, judges, transportation fees, to get the rapist to court, the list of expenses goes on. Then the perpetrator will most likely do his own part to pay off the various players; the judge, the lawyers, or even the doctor to change the medical paperwork to make the case disappear.
If a case is successfully prosecuted, you might be lucky if the man stays in jail for a night or two. They will either be released within a couple of days, because the jails are too full, or they will escape since there is extremely poor security to retain prisoners.
They walk free. Right back into the communities where they raped the woman in the first place.
That is the definition of impunity.
Miel
According to the dictionary, it means:
| 1. | exemption from punishment. |
| 2. | immunity from detrimental effects, as of an action. |
The nightmare that exist here in the Congo is much, much worse than that.
Exempt from punishment doesn't begin to describe. We met last week with a lawyer in Kisangani, the focal point for Sexual and Gender Based Violence - otherwise known as SGBV - a neat and tidy acronym that is used to refer to atrocities of the worst kind against humanity.
About three quarters of the way through the meeting, I paused. Contemplating what to do next. Most often when I'm meeting with a stakeholder of some kind, my aim is to get their opinions and ideas about how to address programmatic issues to ensure that the design of our interventions are sound. In this case it was clear that the solutions were far from within reach.
The basic situation around the legal aspect of sexual violence goes something like this here in DRC. A man attacks a woman on her way back from farm or collecting firewood, a child is molested by their relative or community member, a teen is chosen for marriage by being violently attacked and raped; the scenarios are endless, and all equally disturbing.
From there, most of the time women and girls will say nothing and do nothing. There are medical interventions that can help to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of HIV if the case is reported with 72 hours; this rarely, rarely happens.
It is easier to say nothing. That is unless there are consequences that can't be hidden, such as pregnancy. According to the stats, the number of women that become pregnant due to rape in DRC seem extraordinarily high; unless you realize that this is just because women were more likely to report as they couldn't go on unnoticed by the community.
Dr. Mkwege, who has become famous for his life and disgrace saving interventions to repair traumatic fistula cases, puts it pretty bluntly. Women don't come unless they are bleeding. Unless is it so bad that they can't take it. Otherwise they suffer in silence or deal with it amongst female family members.
If they come forward and they are a woman, they are likely to be thrown out of the house by their husbands and families. There have been cases known where community leaders have forced raped women to walk through the community naked to show their disgrace even more publicly.
If it is a teen aged girl, the consequences are extreme. Culturally the answer is that if a girl comes forward, they will be forced to marry the rapist. Some even say that this is how a man is able to select their wife. If they are able to rape the girl, then she is his; if she gets away then she has refused the marriage.
After the initial ordeal of dealing with the trauma and stigma of being raped, most do not pursue legal prosecution. If they do, the cycle of abuse just really continues further. Hopefully survivors will have access to programs that help provide assistance to pursue prosecution, but these are still few and far between.
If they don't have assistance, they will have to pay for the lawyers, judges, transportation fees, to get the rapist to court, the list of expenses goes on. Then the perpetrator will most likely do his own part to pay off the various players; the judge, the lawyers, or even the doctor to change the medical paperwork to make the case disappear.
If a case is successfully prosecuted, you might be lucky if the man stays in jail for a night or two. They will either be released within a couple of days, because the jails are too full, or they will escape since there is extremely poor security to retain prisoners.
They walk free. Right back into the communities where they raped the woman in the first place.
That is the definition of impunity.
Miel
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wild West of Congo - Orientale Province
When we arrived in Kinsangani, Orientale Province of DRC, it was clear right away that things were different. The city reminded me immediately of Kinshasa and Bujumbura, with its wide boulevards and colonial feel. In fact, the city feels as though it never left the colonial era.
Most of the buildings date back to the colonial period, and thanks to the excellent architecture of the day, are still structurally sound after a century. Though they appear as though they haven’t been painted or maintained since then, that is merely the affect that Congo has on things. The only proof of maintenance is that the city would have been covered over by jungle had it not been maintained!
We hit the ground running, meeting with various contacts to discuss the situation around sexual violence in Orientale province. By the time the afternoon was over, it was clear that things were a bit different here. Each person echoed what the last had said, pointing out the reality that Orientale remains an untouched zone of DRC. People pointed to Goma and Bukavu, as the civilized areas of Eastern DRC; explaining that the reality of the area was due to a high level of ignorance.
Looking at the statistics given to us for the area, it was clear that we were dealing with something different here. Whereas most of the media around sexual violence in DRC revolves around the violent and public attacks by militants against women to break down the community structure, there is another more private horror occurring.
The data was clear, there are high numbers of molestation and incest happening in this area. The majority of reported cases were against children, as they are more likely to speak up or face medical issues due to rape. Women are better at hiding it to protect against stigma and loosing what little they do have. Month after month you scroll through the data to see crimes against 3 year olds, 5 year olds, you hear about stories where an 8 year old was discovered when her entire insides were destroyed. It is painful just to here such stories.
Then we move on to discuss the legal aspect of sexual violence. I’ll do an additional post about this, as there is too much to say just here. But suffice to say, that the entire legal system is broken. The lawyer we spoke with says that the only thing in their favor is that the laws exist to prohibit sexual violence, other than that, the rest is simply broken.
Next we spoke to a foreign priest who has been living in Kisangani for the last 24 years. He shakes his head as he says that he cannot begin to describe the horrors that he witnessed during the war. He says that after the war, international actors appeared, but the local population was only willing to take their money, and nothing else. Since then they've basically chased out the NGOs, leaving mainly the UN and International Red Cross as major actors. Clearly there is a great need for assistance, but a lack of willingness or interest to accept such help.
So for now, Orientale remains a relatively untouched area of the world. But then again, it is not untouched. It clearly bares the marks and scars of colonialism, but without the benefits of a functional government, legal, education, health, or any other system. Clearly things are different here.
Miel
Most of the buildings date back to the colonial period, and thanks to the excellent architecture of the day, are still structurally sound after a century. Though they appear as though they haven’t been painted or maintained since then, that is merely the affect that Congo has on things. The only proof of maintenance is that the city would have been covered over by jungle had it not been maintained!
We hit the ground running, meeting with various contacts to discuss the situation around sexual violence in Orientale province. By the time the afternoon was over, it was clear that things were a bit different here. Each person echoed what the last had said, pointing out the reality that Orientale remains an untouched zone of DRC. People pointed to Goma and Bukavu, as the civilized areas of Eastern DRC; explaining that the reality of the area was due to a high level of ignorance.Looking at the statistics given to us for the area, it was clear that we were dealing with something different here. Whereas most of the media around sexual violence in DRC revolves around the violent and public attacks by militants against women to break down the community structure, there is another more private horror occurring.
The data was clear, there are high numbers of molestation and incest happening in this area. The majority of reported cases were against children, as they are more likely to speak up or face medical issues due to rape. Women are better at hiding it to protect against stigma and loosing what little they do have. Month after month you scroll through the data to see crimes against 3 year olds, 5 year olds, you hear about stories where an 8 year old was discovered when her entire insides were destroyed. It is painful just to here such stories.
Then we move on to discuss the legal aspect of sexual violence. I’ll do an additional post about this, as there is too much to say just here. But suffice to say, that the entire legal system is broken. The lawyer we spoke with says that the only thing in their favor is that the laws exist to prohibit sexual violence, other than that, the rest is simply broken.
Next we spoke to a foreign priest who has been living in Kisangani for the last 24 years. He shakes his head as he says that he cannot begin to describe the horrors that he witnessed during the war. He says that after the war, international actors appeared, but the local population was only willing to take their money, and nothing else. Since then they've basically chased out the NGOs, leaving mainly the UN and International Red Cross as major actors. Clearly there is a great need for assistance, but a lack of willingness or interest to accept such help.
So for now, Orientale remains a relatively untouched area of the world. But then again, it is not untouched. It clearly bares the marks and scars of colonialism, but without the benefits of a functional government, legal, education, health, or any other system. Clearly things are different here.
Miel
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Welcome to Liberia
As I awaken from my groggy slumber I realize just how close we are. The plane banks to the right and I see the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, with white sandy beaches punctuating the coast line. The rest is lush jungle and rainforest.
Touch down. Country number fifty. The landing is smooth and the first sight is of a large UN helicopter on the tarmac. Aside from the Kenya Airways plane and a fueling truck, the runway in Monrovia is pretty quiet.
The airport, or lack there of, reminds me distinctively of Kabul. I consider reaching for my headscarf and then realize that isn’t necessary. I plod along through customs listening to chitchat of missionaries here for a couple of a days, and then am thankful once again that I still manage to travel for six weeks with only carry-on luggage.
A driver and one of my staff is there to pick me for the 45 minute drive back into Monrovia.
The first sign I notice is one against sexual violence, still widely common after the war. Reminding passersby that no means no. Followed shortly after with a billboard of the Statue of Liberty covered in Heineken advertisements.
What really blows me away is the site of a woman carrying a bundle of fish traps. These were the identical style of fish traps that I learned to weave in my village in Ghana. Some things just take you back.
Other sites that were pointed out was the JFK Hospital that was started by Kennedy, as well as the former house of Charles Taylor and the home of the current President Ellen Shirleaf. I would think that a former dictator that destroyed an entire nation would have had a nicer house.
This evening I got the tour of the city. There doesn’t seem much to it. A couple of long streets, lots of UN and NGOs. Tons of billboards against corruption and reminding people of the need for their tax dollars to develop the nation. Even more mobile phone ads.
Things are better after the war, but they are slow in coming. It is sad to see a once thriving city struggling back to life. Another example of how civil war does no one any good.
Miel
Touch down. Country number fifty. The landing is smooth and the first sight is of a large UN helicopter on the tarmac. Aside from the Kenya Airways plane and a fueling truck, the runway in Monrovia is pretty quiet.
The airport, or lack there of, reminds me distinctively of Kabul. I consider reaching for my headscarf and then realize that isn’t necessary. I plod along through customs listening to chitchat of missionaries here for a couple of a days, and then am thankful once again that I still manage to travel for six weeks with only carry-on luggage.
A driver and one of my staff is there to pick me for the 45 minute drive back into Monrovia.
The first sign I notice is one against sexual violence, still widely common after the war. Reminding passersby that no means no. Followed shortly after with a billboard of the Statue of Liberty covered in Heineken advertisements.
What really blows me away is the site of a woman carrying a bundle of fish traps. These were the identical style of fish traps that I learned to weave in my village in Ghana. Some things just take you back.
Other sites that were pointed out was the JFK Hospital that was started by Kennedy, as well as the former house of Charles Taylor and the home of the current President Ellen Shirleaf. I would think that a former dictator that destroyed an entire nation would have had a nicer house.
This evening I got the tour of the city. There doesn’t seem much to it. A couple of long streets, lots of UN and NGOs. Tons of billboards against corruption and reminding people of the need for their tax dollars to develop the nation. Even more mobile phone ads.
Things are better after the war, but they are slow in coming. It is sad to see a once thriving city struggling back to life. Another example of how civil war does no one any good.
Miel
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Clinton in Congo
I'm excited to report about Hillary Clinton's recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has pledged an additional $17 Million in funds to help address sexual violence in eastern DRC.
Obviously from my past posts, this is an issue that is close to my heart. I'm very glad to see that momentum is increasing and that attention is being seen in DRC.
Here are some sources with more information:
New York Times
MSNBC
Reuters
TV New Zealand
Here is also a video from BBC.
Way to go Hillary!
Miel
Obviously from my past posts, this is an issue that is close to my heart. I'm very glad to see that momentum is increasing and that attention is being seen in DRC.
Here are some sources with more information:
New York Times
MSNBC
Reuters
TV New Zealand
Here is also a video from BBC.
Way to go Hillary!
Miel
Monday, June 1, 2009
Nightmare
I talked with my grandmother last night and she was proud of the work that I am doing. She said that she had talked to her friends about my last post, and reflected on her own experience with sexual violence as a method of control back in 1950s' Haiti. She urged me to keep up my work and continue to write about the topic.
This morning I was struck by a security report that came in from DRCongo over the weekend. It is an utter nightmare that depicts very well what is happening in DRC.
An entire family of sisters were gang raped by armed men. A 17, 14, 12, and 3 year old. The 3 year old was injured so badly that she died on the way to the hospital.
The story is chilling. I have been to the remote area where this incident occurred just two months ago. I have seen the lush mountains and valleys. I have come across truckloads of men and were glad that all they wanted were pictures of them goofing around.
These girls were not so lucky. Their family is shattered. As a mother or father I can't imagine the pain they must suffer to watch their daughters experience such tragedy. As a young girl I can't imagine trying to move on after such trauma with your siblings.
It is sad, and it is all too common. It doesn't even make it as a media report, but it deserve so much more attention than it is given.
Miel
This morning I was struck by a security report that came in from DRCongo over the weekend. It is an utter nightmare that depicts very well what is happening in DRC.
An entire family of sisters were gang raped by armed men. A 17, 14, 12, and 3 year old. The 3 year old was injured so badly that she died on the way to the hospital.
The story is chilling. I have been to the remote area where this incident occurred just two months ago. I have seen the lush mountains and valleys. I have come across truckloads of men and were glad that all they wanted were pictures of them goofing around.
These girls were not so lucky. Their family is shattered. As a mother or father I can't imagine the pain they must suffer to watch their daughters experience such tragedy. As a young girl I can't imagine trying to move on after such trauma with your siblings.
It is sad, and it is all too common. It doesn't even make it as a media report, but it deserve so much more attention than it is given.
Miel
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Sexual Violence in DR Congo
There is a topic that is dear to my heart that I have been thinking about writing about for some time. It is a far too silent epidemic that has ravaged the lives of countless women around the globe, but particularly in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is an epidemic of rape and horror, there is no other way to put it. The things I will share here are beyond comprehension. If it isn't already a subject you are familiar with, you will likely wonder how it is that you are just learning about this now. If you've been aware of the struggle for years, as I have, you will wonder how this madness still continues.
The Eastern DR Congo has been at war for the past 12 years. Unlike other global conflicts, the countless deaths have largely gone unmentioned by the media. Everyone knows of the genocide in Rwanda, but far fewer are aware that this conflict spread over the border to reek havoc on DRC.
Congo is rich in minerals, void of a great deal of infrastructure, and rife with conflict.
Those minerals - tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold - that go to power our laptops, iPods, and Blackberries, have driven the continued conflict. If ever there was an uproar of concern about conflict diamonds, such precious minerals have been just as devastating in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Within this conflict, rape has been used as a weapon of choice to destroy families, livelihoods, and the society as a whole. While DRC is not unique in seeing sexual violence increase during times of conflict, it has been taken to a new level in DRC.
To be blunt, I'll spell it out. There have been thousands of women and children raped in DRC. Gang rapes are common place, sometimes lasting for days. Women are raped in public as a spectacle for all to see. They are raped in front of their children and husbands. Men are also forced to rape their mothers and children, leaving them also scarred and battered.
The use of extreme torture is often used as well. This includes using foreign objects such as broken bottles and rifles, sometime even firing them off inside a woman. Most recent reports have come back with incidents where gasoline was poured inside the vagina and lit on fire. The stories coming out of DRC are beyond disturbing.
And yet, they continue. They have done so for more than a decade, with limited support or intervention.
Of course sexually transmitted disease is rampant, including HIV/AIDS. Husbands often refuse to accept their wives back into their households after being sexually abused. Women are left to care for their children without support or access to viable livelihoods. Many cases are severe and leave long term reproductive challenges such as fistula, where in extreme cases women and children may have to live with a colostomy bag for the rest of their lives.
Sexual violence has also been seen to normalize and extend far beyond times of conflict. In Liberia, another country where I have the good fortune to work, this has been evident. There was a piece on the New York Times this week by Nicholas Kristof about how the violence has continued past the civil war and children have been targets, check out the video as well for this shocking case.
It is a sad and debilitating look at humanity. Rape and spousal abuse is an issue throughout the world, but what is happening in the DRC needs our attention now.
It won't be easy, and it won't happen over night, but we must work to address this tragedy. The week before last I attended a Senate hearing led by Senator Barbara Boxer that addressed this issue. I believe that there is hope that the Congress will begin to pay attention.
Additionally there are resources such as the Enough project, where you can learn more and see what you can do to help. There is also an organization called Raise Hope for Congo that shows you how to make a different in more ethically sound mineral extraction.
It isn't an easy subject to digest, let alone address, but it has to be done. Thanks for learning more and creating more awareness about this issue.
Best,
Miel
To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. - Abraham Lincoln
It is an epidemic of rape and horror, there is no other way to put it. The things I will share here are beyond comprehension. If it isn't already a subject you are familiar with, you will likely wonder how it is that you are just learning about this now. If you've been aware of the struggle for years, as I have, you will wonder how this madness still continues.
The Eastern DR Congo has been at war for the past 12 years. Unlike other global conflicts, the countless deaths have largely gone unmentioned by the media. Everyone knows of the genocide in Rwanda, but far fewer are aware that this conflict spread over the border to reek havoc on DRC.
Congo is rich in minerals, void of a great deal of infrastructure, and rife with conflict.
Those minerals - tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold - that go to power our laptops, iPods, and Blackberries, have driven the continued conflict. If ever there was an uproar of concern about conflict diamonds, such precious minerals have been just as devastating in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Within this conflict, rape has been used as a weapon of choice to destroy families, livelihoods, and the society as a whole. While DRC is not unique in seeing sexual violence increase during times of conflict, it has been taken to a new level in DRC.
To be blunt, I'll spell it out. There have been thousands of women and children raped in DRC. Gang rapes are common place, sometimes lasting for days. Women are raped in public as a spectacle for all to see. They are raped in front of their children and husbands. Men are also forced to rape their mothers and children, leaving them also scarred and battered.
The use of extreme torture is often used as well. This includes using foreign objects such as broken bottles and rifles, sometime even firing them off inside a woman. Most recent reports have come back with incidents where gasoline was poured inside the vagina and lit on fire. The stories coming out of DRC are beyond disturbing.
And yet, they continue. They have done so for more than a decade, with limited support or intervention.
Of course sexually transmitted disease is rampant, including HIV/AIDS. Husbands often refuse to accept their wives back into their households after being sexually abused. Women are left to care for their children without support or access to viable livelihoods. Many cases are severe and leave long term reproductive challenges such as fistula, where in extreme cases women and children may have to live with a colostomy bag for the rest of their lives.
Sexual violence has also been seen to normalize and extend far beyond times of conflict. In Liberia, another country where I have the good fortune to work, this has been evident. There was a piece on the New York Times this week by Nicholas Kristof about how the violence has continued past the civil war and children have been targets, check out the video as well for this shocking case.
It is a sad and debilitating look at humanity. Rape and spousal abuse is an issue throughout the world, but what is happening in the DRC needs our attention now.
It won't be easy, and it won't happen over night, but we must work to address this tragedy. The week before last I attended a Senate hearing led by Senator Barbara Boxer that addressed this issue. I believe that there is hope that the Congress will begin to pay attention.
Additionally there are resources such as the Enough project, where you can learn more and see what you can do to help. There is also an organization called Raise Hope for Congo that shows you how to make a different in more ethically sound mineral extraction.
It isn't an easy subject to digest, let alone address, but it has to be done. Thanks for learning more and creating more awareness about this issue.
Best,
Miel
To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. - Abraham Lincoln
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