Ending Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

“Terrible, unspeakable things are being done to women in the Congo.
They live in fear of being violated, tortured, mutilated, and infected with HIV. ”
- Stephen Lewis

I recently attended an incredibly powerful event in Toronto called “Ending Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” with Stephen Lewis (Stephen Lewis Foundation and Aids-Free World), Dr. Denis Mukwege (Panzi Hospital), Eve Ensler (VDay and the Vagina Monologues), and Aissatou Diajhate (Stephen Lewis Foundation) describing the violation and mutilation of hundreds of thousands of women and girls since 1998, and the work being done at the Panzi Hospital by Dr. Mukwege to help the victims.

With sexual violence against women and children a commonplace weapon of war, the level of atrocity in the DRC is accorded a unique status by Lewis: “… in the vast historical panorama of violence against women, there is a level of demonic dementia plumbed in the Congo that has seldom, if ever, been reached before.”

Each of the distinguished speakers helped the audience gain an understanding of the “sexual terrorism” against women and girls as young as three months old who are brutally raped often with tools and weapons,  the powerful effects of rape on destroying communities, the silence and inaction of governments, and the UN’s inability to do what is needed to solve the crisis. (The conflict in DRC has also claimed five million lives since it began.)

Moving on to solutions, these inspiring heroes then called upon us all to create grassroots movements in our communities everywhere to help empower women in the DRC and work towards an end to sexual violence. It is painfully obvious we cannot count on world leaders to step in, nor can we wait for the UN. We must act and join together.

How?
Donate to the Panzi Hospital through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Join the VDay Action Campaign which lists a variety of ways you can participate through educating yourself and then others, letter writing, and donations.

Dr. Mukwege and Eve Ensler will be touring in the United States so watch for their lectures.

Related Link:
Stephen Lewis reflects on the failure of the UN to protect women and of the urgent need for the formation of  a UN agency for women, Pambazuka Times, Nov. 6, 2008.