Resilience Manifested: Congolese Women Fight Back against Rape

Resilience Manifested: Congolese Women Fight Back against Rape
Many have expressed outrage about the recently published study in The American Journal of Public Health which estimates that women are being raped at a rate of nearly 1 every minute in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study is even more alarming since it’s suggested that the rate might even be higher because women who are victims of rape are often afraid to come forward in fear of further attacks. Many also fear being ostracized and stigmatize by members of their communities. While public alarm and outage at the above noted findings are warranted, it is just as important that we are aware of the resilience and power exercised by many of these women.

Despite having a reputation as being one of the most violent and dysfunctional places in the world, the DRC is also one of the most beautiful places on earth. It possesses large quantities of some of the world’s most valuable minerals natural resources such as gold, diamonds, timber, copper and rubber. It also makes claim to some of the clearest lakes and lush vegetations the world has to offer. However, the country’s richness and beauty is often overshadowed by its ongoing civil war and internal strife.

The act of rape in the DRC takes on a different meaning and purpose than our conventional understanding of rape in the western world. Rape against women in the west is often committed for personal/individual reasons, while rape against women in the DRC is predominantly used as a weapon of war. The United Nations has even declared that the DRC is the “epicenter of rape as a weapon of war.”

Despite being subjected to the physical and psychological trauma of being raped, it is imperative that we look at these women as more than just ‘victims.’ We should encourage the strength, power and resilience exercised by Congolese women on a daily basis. They have taken to the streets to march against sexual violence every year since 2005. At last year’s march, Dr. Nene Rukunghu, a doctor at a hospital that treats rape victims declared “we must fight against impunity, so that the perpetrators of violence are punished, to allow women can regain their dignity. Despite what they endure, Congolese women are strong and able to stand up again.”

Such displays of resilience and strength in the face of rampant sexual violence, exploitation and oppression is what has inspired other women, such as feminist playwright Ms. Ensler, writer of The Vagina Monologues , in her quest to “build an army of women” in the DRC. As noted by Ms. Ensler, “when you have enough women in power, they take over the government and they make different decisions. You’ll see. They’ll say ‘Uh-uh, we’re not taking this any longer,’ and they’ll put an end to this rape problem fast.”

While the public will inevitably react to these alarming findings and many will try to develop different strategies of how to help these Congolese women, we must ensure that these very women play a dominant role in any international/domestic policy or action implemented on their behalf. They have been leading the fight for many years and have shown that they are strong enough to withstand the perils of life in the DRC.