New York, Sep 12 2008 1:10PM
Female survivors of rape and sexual abuse are sharing their stories
today at an event organized by the United Nations in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), where rape has been used as a weapon of
war and an estimated 200,000 women and girls have been assaulted over
the past 12 years.
The day-long programme in the eastern city of Goma is part of a joint
<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_45502.html">campaign – "Stop
Raping Our Greatest Resource, Power to Women and Girls in DRC" –
organized by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and V-Day, a global
movement to end violence against women and girls.
"It's a historic occasion in the Democratic Republic of Congo in that
for the first time women survivors are publicly speaking out on the
situation of sexual violence," UNICEF spokesperson Jaya Murthy said in
an interview with UN Radio.
"We have 10 women that are speaking out today and making a declaration
to the Congolese Government, to Congolese society and to the world
that sexual violence must stop," she stated.
Ms. Murthy noted that while "sexual violence is rampant and prevalent
throughout Congolese society," the area that has been most affected
has been the eastern DRC, particularly the Kivu region, where clashes
between Government forces and rebel groups broke out just weeks ago,
despite the signing of a peace deal in January.
Sexual violence is still occurring on an "unprecedented" scale in the
DRC, particularly in the east, she said. That is why today's event is
being held in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and a similar one will
be held in the capital of South Kivu, Bukavu, on 19 September.
The founder of V-Day and renowned activist, Eve Ensler, will
participate in both events, which are also being supported by the UN
Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC
(MONUC) and dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to
eliminate sexual and gender-based violence in DRC.
1 comment:
I think that the situation in Drc has been getting worse because of the impunity.
Violence has been implied to people on a large scale and particulary on women.
In African culture, whatever takes place in the bedroom is indeed very private.
For those women to talk about what they endured, is very courageous.
I pray that a lasting solution will be found for all problems that Kongo is going through
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