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Women’s Bodies as a Battleground: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls During the War in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Author: International Alert
Date: 2005
Size: 72 pages (572 KB)

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Summary

Armed conflict in the East Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is characterised by the degree of cruelty and the scale of rape and violence committed against women. According to this report, published by Réseau des Femmes pour un Développement Associatif (RFDA), the institutional response of local and state actors to the sexual violence in the South Kivu region has been disappointing. Donors need to better support civil society efforts to promote and protect women’s rights and intensify their efforts to eliminate sexual violence as a crime against humanity.

Sexual violence against women has been committed on a large scale in East DRC. The province of South Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Burundi, has been an entry point for foreign troops since the start of the conflict and combatants on all sides of the war have committed acts of sexual violence there.

Sexual violence affects not only the victims themselves, but also their families and communities. It affects both the physical and mental health of victims. Interviews with female victims of rape in South Kivu also reveals that:

  • Sexual violence contributes to the erosion of the economic and social foundations of rural communities. Women are the main productive force in the rural economy and are the backbone of small-scale local trading, but war, sexual violence and general insecurity has driven many women away.
  • Access to health care is almost impossible because the health care system has eroded. 70 per cent of victims did not receive any medical treatment after being raped. Some women did not seek medical assistance due to the fear of stigmatisation and ostracisation from their communities.

In a climate of general insecurity, local customary and administrative authorities are powerless to act. Stronger efforts are required by donors to address the massive violations of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Specifically:

  • The UN Security Council should ensure that the governments of countries that have attacked the DRC provide compensation to the victims of atrocities. It should set up an independent international inquiry to establish individual and collective responsibility for the violence. It should also eradicate the culture of impunity that exists in DRC and the Great Lakes region, in line with the model of the International Tribunal for Rwanda.
  • The World Bank, the EU and other international institutions should ensure that financial support to the DRC takes into account the needs of Congolese women, especially rural women who constitute the most disadvantaged and affected group.
  • Donors should give adequate support to local organisations that promote and protect women’s rights so that sustainable projects can be established. Despite the meagre resources at its disposal, civil society plays a crucial role by providing food, health and legal assistance and training in women’s rights.

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Source: International Alert, 2005, 'Women’s Bodies as a Battleground: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls During the War in the Democratic Republic of Congo', International Altert, London
Author: International Alert, http://www.international-alert.org


 

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