Congolese women and women from Burundi, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda who took part in the Women's Peace Dialogue held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo April 5-6, 2012 demanded discussions on the formation of the first Intervention Brigade that will operate in the eastern part of the DRC.
Hundreds of women in the City of Joy in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo dance to raise awareness of violence against women as part of the One Billion Rising campaign. The global event was prompted by the statistic that one in three women will suffer violence at some time in their lives.
For the past 16 years at the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, my staff and I have been treating women who have been victimized by sexual violence, which has been systematically used as a weapon of war in the armed conflict that has ravaged our country. Rape is one of the most deadly weapons of war, destroying families and communities and future generations, as well as the women brutally targeted.
The news announced earlier this week that rebels from the M23 movement had finally withdrawn from the DRC city of Goma, was met with much relief. But what does this withdrawal really mean for the DRC – in particular for women, who face a shocking rate of sexual violence, as victims of the ongoing conflict?
DR Congo has a bloody history of colonisation and slavery, and its current situation is characterised by extremely grave violations of human rights. The liberation in the 1960s has been followed by political struggles, dictatorship, poor distribution of the country's wealth, armed conflict between different fractions of the national army and guerilla groups, conflict related systematic rape and corruption.
Rampant sexual violence against women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was the sobering topic of a conference held Saturday morning at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa.
“We've invited you to a very serious morning—not an easy morning,” said organizer Daniel Stringer as he opened the conference, called Breaking the Silence on Sexual Violence in the Congo.
Political leaders must act immediately and halt arms supplies to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where they continue to fuel unlawful killings, rape, looting and abductions, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
Women from Around the World Condemn the Election- related Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The International Civil society Action Network and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders condemn the election-related violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On these days that mark the 2011 General Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, We call on all Congolese leaders of political parties, members of political parties, members of the armed forces and the police to demonstrate their respect for human rights, freedom of expression and choices as well as respect for the right of Congolese to live in peace and human security.
