Briefing Paper: Congo Women Speak

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WOMEN!OF!CONGO!SPEAK!OUT! !

BRIEFING(PAPER( !

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INTRODUCTION) !

The!International!Campaign!to!Stop!Rape! &!Gender!Violence!in!Conflict!led!a!highC level!factCfinding!mission!to!Eastern!DRC! in!February!2014.!Led!by!Nobel!peace! laureate!Leymah!Gbowee,!the!delegation! included!journalists,!philanthropists!and! women's!rights!experts!from!the!US!and!

Canada.!It!was!hosted!by!Solidarity!for!

Integrated!Peace!and!Development!

(SOFEPADI)—a!coalition!of!40!women's! organizations!in!the!Eastern!DRC.!The! group!met!with!women's!organizations,! grassroots!groups!working!on!justice,!provincial!government!officials!and!representatives!from!UN! and!international!organizations!and!toured!womenCled!projects!aimed!at!supporting!survivors!of! sexual!violence.! !

The!objective!of!the!factCfinding!mission!was!asses!the!situation!of!women!in!eastern!DRC,!to!learn! what!women!are!doing!on!the!ground!to!sow!peace!and!end!sexual!violence,!and!to!hear!from! survivors!of!sexual!violence!what!concrete!strategies!are!working!to!bring!rape!to!an!end.!The!factC finding!mission!met!with!over!350!women!in!DRC.! ! !

!!!!!!KEY)FINDINGS) • • • • • •

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Rape!in!conflict!continues!at!crisis!levels!

Rape!is!normalized!into!wider!society!

Communities!are!traumatized!

Women!face!extreme!poverty!

Limited!access!to!justice!

Women!Human!Rights!Defenders!are!at!risk!

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RAPE(IN(CONFLICT(CONTINUES(AT(CRISIS(LEVEL( A!dozen!larger!and!smaller!armed!groups!continue!to!be!active!in!eastern!DRC,!leaving!the!area!in!a! state!of!active!conflict!while!being!considered!a!postCconflict!zone!by!the!international!community.!

These!armed!groups!continue!to!routinely!use!rape!as!a!strategy!to!terrorize!and!control!communities! in!all!of!eastern!DRC,!including!the!Kivus!and!Orientale!province.!Rape!is!deliberately!used!to!punish! both!women!and!men!for!perceived!collaboration!with!rival!groups!to!the!conflict!and!to!force! communities!into!submission!in!order!to!control!considerable!resources!(land,!minerals,!gold).!! !

According!to!the!latest!UN!report:!“the!period!between!January!2010!and!December!2013…has!been! characterized!by!the!persistence!of!incidents!of!sexual!violence!that!were!extremely!serious!due!to! their!scale,!their!systematic!nature!and!the!number!of!victims.”!UNHCR’s!protection!monitoring!teams! registered!705!cases!of!sexual!violence!in!the!first!half!of!2013!in!North!Kivu!province!alone.!A!large! number!of!the!cases!are!committed!in!homes!or!when!women!are!working!in!fields,!going!to!the! market!and!fetching!water.!Many!more!cases!are!never!reported.!Doctors!from!the!Panzi!Hospital!in!

Bukavu!reported!collecting!data!that!suggests!an!alarming!number!of!young!survivors,!or!victims! dying!from!complications,!and!also!a!rising!number!of!women!coming!from!artisanal!mining! communities.!! !

Sexual!violence!is!no!longer!concentrated!in!rural!areas!but!is!increasingly!happening!within!cities!as! well,!including!Goma!and!Bukavu.!One!the!one!hand,!this!is!caused!by!makeshift!military!camps!being! set!up!within!more!urban!areas,!and!on!the!other!hand!by!former!members!of!armed!groups! returning!and!reintegrating!into!civilian!life.!Many!of!the!incidents!take!place!around!camps!and!sites! where!internally!displaced!persons!live.!! !

RAPE(IS(NORMALIZED(INTO(WIDER(SOCIETY( While!rape!continues!to!be!used!as!a!war!strategy,!rape!has!also!become!normalized!into!wider! society.!A!recent!survey!by!Promundo!and!Sonke!Gender!Justice!found!that!27!percent!of!women! were!forced!to!have!sex!or!were!raped!as!part!of!the!conflict!by!a!combatant!or!another!stranger.!But! more!than!50!percent!reported!being!forced!to!have!sex!by!their!husbands!or!male!partner.!In!the! same!study,!more!than!a!third!of!men!and!women!reported!experiences!of!sexual!violence!from!a! teacher,!classmate!or!someone!in!their!home!or!community!when!they!were!children.!This!is!a!key! concern!for!many!of!the!grassroots!organizations!and!international!agencies.!! !

Although!an!end!to!the!conflict!would!stop!some!forms!of!sexual!violence,!it!won’t!end!sexual! violence!overall.!!Economic!hardship,!trauma,!fear,!frustration,!and!hunger!all!converge!into!a!cycle!of! violence!against!women!within!families!and!communities.!Men!often!deal!with!economic!and! psychological!stress!with!alcohol!and!substance!abuse!and!violent!childhood!experiences!have!a! significant!impact!on!the!construction!of!inequitable!gender!perceptions!in!adulthood.!As!a!result!of! widespread!inequitable!gender!attitudes,!there!is!a!widespread!belief!among!men!and!women!in! eastern!DRC!that!women!are!‘deserving’!of!sexual!violence.!!!! !

COMMUNITIES(ARE(TRAUMATIZED( The!impacts!of!sexual!violence!are!multiCdimensional,!and!the!pervasive!and!public!scope!of!this!crime! affects!not!only!individuals!but!also!families!and!entire!communities.!Communal!trauma!has!longC term!effects,!such!as!higher!levels!of!civilian!rape!and!alcohol!and!drug!abuse,!and!communities!are! difficult!to!rebuild!without!functioning!families.!!

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It!is!especially!traumatic!for!children!to!witness!the!violence!committed!against!their!mothers!and! family!members,!with!many!of!them!showing!more!aggressive!behaviour!as!a!result.!The!most! vulnerable!children!are!orphans!and!children!born!of!rape.!Children!of!rape!often!lack!official!papers,! and!are!effectively!without!citizenship.!They!do!not!have!official!access!to!education,!health!services! and!other!resources.!Facing!high!levels!of!stigmatization!and!intolerance,!they!are!particularly! vulnerable!to!recruitment!as!child!soldiers.! !

There!is!a!deep!need!for!healing!and!recovery!not!only!for!direct!victims!of!violence!but!for!children,! families!and!communities.!This!will!require!holistic!approaches!to!ending!sexual!violence!in!order!to! break!the!cycle!of!violence!that!is!the!ultimate!goal!of!the!use!of!rape!as!a!weapon!of!war.!!! !

WOMEN(FACE(EXTREME(POVERTY( The!war!has!created!many!more!womenCled!households!as!men!have!been!killed,!have!joined!armed! groups,!are!out!seeking!employment,!have!abandoned!women!who!are!survivors!of!sexual!violence,! or!because!displacement!has!torn!apart!families.!Women’s!fear!of!sexual!violence!prevents!them!from! farming!their!land!and!trading!their!produce,!both!of!which!generally!require!long!walks!in!remote! areas.!As!a!result!of!not!being!able!to!farm!and!trade,!women!have!to!seek!out!other!income! generating!activities.!For!some!women,!prostitution!and!work!in!the!mining!areas!are!the!only!option! left,!putting!themselves!knowingly!at!great!risk!to!feed!their!families.!! !

LIMITED(ACCESS(TO(JUSTICE( While!there!has!been!an!increase!in!the!number!of!prosecutions!of!state!agents!for!sexual!violence,! mostly!through!mobile!court!hearings,!most!cases!of!sexual!violence!are!never!investigated!or! prosecuted,!and!very!few!are!even!reported.!In!particular,!highCranking!officers!responsible!for!crimes! of!sexual!violence!continue!to!enjoy!impunity.!Proceedings!only!very!rarely!target!higherCranking!

FARDC!officers!and!if!they!go!to!trial,!corrupt!judicial!officials!and!political!figures!interfere!with!the! process.!Often,!those!convicted!and!imprisoned!manage!to!escape!and!resurface!in!their!communities! without!much!questioning.!As!members!of!armed!groups!are!much!more!mobile,!arrests!and! investigations!become!even!more!difficult,!rendering!them!‘beyond!the!reach!of!justice.’! !

Many!victims!do!not!report!incidents!for!fear!of!retaliation!by!the!perpetrator,!and!stigmatization!by! the!families!and!community.!Moreover,!victims!have!little!faith!in!the!judicial!system!marred!with! corruption!and!a!serious!lack!of!capacity.!There!is!also!considerable!pressure!by!the!community!to! settle!cases!of!sexual!violence!outCofCcourt,!sometimes!ending!in!forced!marriage!between!the!victim! and!the!perpetrator.!Economic!constraints!further!prohibit!victims’!access!to!justice.!They!cannot! afford!to!leave!their!incomeCgenerating!activities,!they!cannot!afford!the!upfront!costs,!such!as!court! fees,!transport!and!accommodation,!and!they!cannot!afford!to!pay!lawyers.!! !

The!lack!of!a!reparations!fund!in!DRC!further!reduces!the!motivation!of!victims!to!pursue!cases!in! court.!Reparations,!including!restitution,!compensation,!rehabilitation,!satisfaction!and!guarantee!of! nonCrepetition!are!the!most!victimCcentered!justice!mechanism!available!and!the!most!significant! means!of!making!a!difference!in!the!lives!of!victims.!Yet,!no!sexual!violence!victim!in!the!DRC!is!known! to!have!received!monetary!compensation!by!a!court!order.!Requiring!the!state!to!pay!for!reparations! may!create!the!political!will!necessary!to!end!the!violence!and!the!culture!of!impunity.!Moreover,!as! survivors!face!great!stigma!and!insecurity,!making!income!generation!difficult,!they!are!reliant!on!the!

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damages!awarded.! !

WOMEN(HUMAN(RIGHTS(DEFENDERS((WHRDs)(AT(RISK( Many!of!the!women!that!the!delegation!met!in!eastern!DRC!are!carrying!out!work!in!the!defense!of! human!and!women’s!rights.!They!offer!vital!assistance!to!victims!of!abuses,!they!report!abuses! against!the!civilian!population!to!local,!national!and!international!mechanisms,!they!challenge!and! defy!cultural!and!social!norms!that!violate!women’s!rights,!and!they!are!organizing!to!provide!access! to!justice.!WHRDs!often!carry!out!a!significant!amount!of!fieldwork!in!remote!areas,!especially!on! sexual!violence,!and!often!in!the!presence!of!armed!groups.! !

As!a!result!of!their!work,!WHRDs!face!intimidation,!death!threats,!arbitrary!detentions,!illCtreatment,! and!unlawful!killings.!The!hostility!and!repression!WHRDs!face!takes!genderCspecific!forms,!ranging! from!verbal!abuse!directed!at!women!because!of!their!gender!to!sexual!harassment!and!rape.!Several!

WHRDs,!as!a!result!of!carrying!out!their!work!assisting!survivors!of!sexual!violence,!then!faced!the! threat!or!act!of!rape!and!sexual!violence!themselves.!WHRDs!we!spoke!to!have!been!forced!into!exile,! faced!death!threats,!and!have!been!attacked.!Often,!their!families!also!become!targets!of!threats!and! attacks.!The!consequence!is!a!climate!of!fear!and!silence!among!human!rights!organizations,!and!of! fear!in!victims!and!witnesses!who!wish!to!report!abuses,!including!sexual!violence.! !

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WOMEN)ARE)KEY)TO)SUSTAINABLE)PEACE)AND)JUSTICE))

( The!women's!movement!in!the!DRC!has!rapidly! emerged!over!the!past!decade!and!there!is!a! critical!mass!of!women!led!groups!effectively! working!together!to!advance!women's!rights!and! social!justice,!to!address!the!sexual!violence!crisis! and!to!bring!peace!to!the!region.!As!a!result!of! their!work,!sexual!violence!in!conflict!has!been! recognized!as!a!crisis!of!epidemic!proportions! that!must!be!addressed!locally,!nationally!and! internationally.!In!2009,!the!DRC!launched!its! national!strategy!against!genderCbased!violence.!

Then!in!2010,!it!created!a!National!Action!Plan!

(NAP)!for!the!enactment!of!UN!Security!Council!Resolution!1325.!While!these!mechanisms!have! clearly!fallen!short!of!their!intent!to!protect!women,!it!has!had!the!positive!effect!that!women's! groups!are!banning!together!to!monitor!implementation!of!UNSCR!1325!and!are!using!the!NAP!as!a! tool!to!advocate!for!change!and!political!will.!! !

Here!is!what!women’s!organizations!in!eastern!Congo!wanted!us!to!share!with!you:!

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HOLISTIC(CARE(FOR(SURVIVORS( There!is!broad!consensus!among!experts!working!in!the!field!that!services!for!survivors!of!sexual! violence!in!conflict!requires!a!multiCsectoral,!communityCbased!model—meaning!the!collaboration! and!coordination!of!services!within!local!communities,!encompassing!the!security,!judicial,!medical,!

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psychoCsocial,!health,!social!services,!and!economic!sectors.!Such!a!holistic!model!can!ease!the! burden!for!a!survivor!of!seeking!and!receiving!help.!Within!this!model,!all!responders—from!doctors! to!judges,!police!to!social!workers—must!be!trained!to!ensure!safe!and!ethical!care!for!survivors.!

Reintegration!programs!are!an!integral!element!of!such!a!holistic!approach,!as!these!programs! provide!for!mediation!between!survivors!and!their!families!and!communities!along!with!interventions! that!aim!to!reduce!stigma!and!enable!women!who!have!been!abandoned!to!earn!a!livelihood.!! !

While!this!multiCsectoral,!communityCbased!model!has!been!recognized!as!best!practice,!the! government!of!DRC,!and!international!agencies!such!as!the!World!Bank,!continue!to!beef!up!a! response!system!that!is!highly!inadequate,!ineffective!and!only!reCvictimizes!survivors.!Women!and! practitioners!in!DRC,!who!have!cared!for!thousands!of!war!rape!survivors,!are!advocating!for!the! development!of!such!a!survivorCcentred!multiCsectoral!approach!but!their!calls!are!not!heeded.!

Hence,!women's!organizations!have!taken!it!into!their!own!hands!to!build!such!integrated!care! facilities!to!provide!for!rape!survivors.!! !

SOFEPADI,!for!example,!established!the!Karibuni!Wamama!Clinic!in!Bunia,!Orientale!Province.!It’s!the! only!clinic!serving!an!area!the!size!of!Spain.!Since!its!inception!in!2010,!the!clinic!has!provided!holistic! health!services!to!more!than!4000!survivors!of!sexual!violence,!including!medical!care,!psychosocial! support,!family!planning!education,!preCnatal!counseling,!HIV/Aids!screening!and!care!for!fistula.!

SOFEPADI!is!also!providing!life!skills!training!for!survivors—including!sewing,!animal!husbandry!and! literacy—and!has!given!young!women!a!chance!to!go!on!with!their!education.!Reintegration!of! survivors!is!the!final!stage!in!their!healing!process!and!SOFEPADI!establishes!community!support! groups!that!provide!much!needed!psychological!and!emotional!support!for!the!survivors!during!their! reintegration.! !

SURVIVOR(ADVOCATES(PLAY(AN(IMPORTANT(ROLE(( Survivors!play!a!key!role!in!the!work!to!improve!local,!regional,!and!international!responses!to!sexual! violence!in!conflict.!They!are!doing!important,!often!dangerous!work!on!the!ground—speaking!out! about!their!own!story!in!the!work!to!prevent!and!respond!to!victims!raped!during!war.!A!survivor! centred!approach!ensures!an!overall!emphasis!on!empowerment!and!the!need!for!survivors!to!move! from!a!place!of!“pain!to!power.”!!Survivors!should!be!seen!as!“change!agents”!and!part!of!the! solution.! !

The!South!Kivu!Women’s!Media!Association!(AFEM)!has!been!particularly!effective!in!giving!voice!to! survivors.!Since!its!inception!in!2003,!AFEM!has!encouraged!hundreds!of!survivors!of!rape!to!tell!their! stories!on!radio!in!order!to!shatter!the!taboo!and!stigma!surrounding!the!issue!and!promote!healing! and!empowerment.!AFEM!has!created!women’s!radioClistening!clubs,!a!safe!place!where!survivors! can!share!their!stories!and!be!surrounded!by!support!networks,!and!trained!women!journalists.!AFEM! hand!delivered!over!400!radio!broadcasts!to!the!International!Criminal!Court!to!include!rape!and! sexual!violence!in!its!list!of!charges!against!former!military!commander!Thomas!Lubanga,!who!was! convicted!to!30!years!in!prison!in!2012.!! !

ACCESS(TO(JUSTICE(IS(ESSENTIAL(( Despite!a!multitude!of!obstacles,!grassroots!women’s!organizations!are!working!to!provide!legal! assistance!and!expand!the!reach!of!mobile!courts!to!provide!greater!access!for!survivors!of!sexual! violence.!Despite!their!limited!resources,!they!continue!to!expand!their!reach!into!more!remote!

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areas.!SOFEPADI,!for!example!is!training!paralegals!and!works!with!judges!in!Oriental!province!to!try! rape!cases!at!the!community!level!through!mobile!courts.!Women’s!organizations!provide!survivors! with!much!needed!protective!accompaniment,!ensuring!safety,!physical!and!mental!wellCbeing,!as! well!as!privacy!and!dignity!of!survivors,!during!proceedings!which!generally!lack!a!victimCcentered! approach!and!tend!to!put!survivors!at!even!greater!risk.! !

FUNDS(FOR(WOMEN(ARE(NEEDED( Poverty!is!a!major!obstacle!for!women!overcoming!trauma.!But!women!are!forging!positive!means!of! generating!income,!establishing!innovative!cooperative!solutions!within!their!communities.!SmallC scale!microCloan!schemes!enable!women!to!receive!loans!to!set!up!small!business!ventures.!Support! groups!for!survivors!of!sexual!violence!have!established!farming!cooperatives.!These!peer!support! groups!have!been!especially!successful!in!helping!survivors!of!sexual!violence,!who!have!been! abandoned!by!their!families,!to!build!community!and!psychosocial!support!for!their!healing.!! !

One!of!the!key!concerns!we!heard!from!women!is!the!lack!of!adequate!funding!for!grassroots! organizations,!who!have!been!the!firstCresponders!for!most!survivors!and!provide!lifeCsaving!and!lifeC sustaining!services.!This!lack!of!funding!spurred!the!establishment!of!the!Congolese!Women's!Fund!

(FFC),!the!only!women's!fund!in!DRC,!which!aims!to!bridge!the!gap!between!women's!groups!and! donors.!It!provides!financial!resources!to!grassroots!organizations!that!have!difficulty!accessing! funding.!It!has!supported!hundreds!of!women!through!microCloans!that!have!spearheaded! entrepreneurship!and!community!projects.!Bringing!together!the!organizations!it!funds,!FFC!provides! opportunities!to!share!best!practices!and!build!a!strong!women's!movement.!!! !

RECOMMENDATIONS)TO)THE)INTERNATIONAL)COMMUNITY)

( Invest(in(women’s(grassroots(work(( Women’s!organizations!play!a!pivotal!role!in!addressing!sexual!violence.!Yet,!women!activists!and! grassroots!organizations!are!working!on!shoeCstring!budgets!to!bring!relief!to!the!hundreds!of! thousands!of!rape!survivors!and!to!work!on!peace!and!reconciliation.!They!need!help.!Though!they! have!proven!strategic,!costCeffective!and!successful,!funding!remains!limited.!What!is!needed!is!a! substantial,!longCterm!investment!by!the!international!community!into!women’s!grassroots! organizations!to!make!real!impact!on!the!ground!in!ending!sexual!violence!and!build!peace.!The! women!know!what!needs!to!be!done!and!have!the!expertise!and!relationships!to!tackle!the!rape! epidemic!and!bring!about!longCterm,!lasting!results!on!the!ground.!! !

Protect(Women(Human(Rights(Defenders( Promoting!the!work!of!WHRDs!and!protecting!them!to!enable!them!to!do!their!work!requires!a! response!that!addresses!both!inequality!and!discrimination.!It!requires!states!to!take!specific!steps!to! provide!an!enabling!environment!for!all!human!rights!defenders,!and!measures!to!protect!WHRDs! that!are!appropriate!to!their!genderCspecific!experience.!The!international!community,!obliged!by!the!

2013!UNGA!Resolution!on!Protecting!WHRDs,!must!speak!out!when!women’s!grassroots! organizations!are!at!risk!and!take!specific!steps!to!reduce!the!threats!to!WHRDs.! ( Provide(holistic(services(to(survivors( Holistic!care!has!been!recognized!as!most!effective!in!bringing!about!healing!for!survivors!and! communities.!!Yet,!little!investment!has!been!made!by!the!international!community!in!setting!up!

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multiCsectoral,!communityCbased!models! to!providing!comprehensive!services!for! survivors.!Services!for!survivors!must! encompass!medical,!psychosocial,!legal! and!livelihood!support!within!a!deferral! system!that!reduces!reCtraumatization! and!enforces!the!dignity!of!survivors.!

Moreover,!services!should!be!provided!to! the!families!and!communities!of!survivors! in!order!to!reduce!stigma,!promote!more! equal!gender!relations,!and!to!reintegrate! survivors!within!their!communities.!As! part!of!these!efforts,!survivors!must!be!at! the!heart!of!any!strategy!to!address!their! complex!and!sensitive!needs.!! !

Tie(aid(to(political(reforms( Donors!must!play!a!vital!role!in!bolstering!democratization!and!state!reform.!But!these!efforts!must! be!based!on!mutual!accountability!and!respect,!with!the!threat!of!cuts!to!aid!if!key!benchmarks!are! not!met.!In!particular,!the!World!Bank,!the!International!Monetary!Fund!and!the!African!Development!

Bank!have!been!the!most!reluctant!to!tie!their!funds!to!political!reforms.!What!is!required!is!much! more!coordination!across!donors!and!a!regional!approach!to!tackling!the!root!causes!of!the!conflict.!

Unless!governments!across!the!region!are!held!accountable!for!their!actions,!these!investments!by! the!international!community!will!continue!to!fall!short!of!their!desired!intent.!!

CONTACTS

DIANA SAROSI Manager, Policy and Advocacy - Nobel Women’s Initiative 613 - 407- 6647 | dsarosi@nobelwomensinitiative.org www.stoprapeinconflict.org | Twitter: @StopRapeCmpgn | Facebook: StopRape in Conflict

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