Fighting Sexual Violence in the DR Congo

William J. Garvelink
U.S. Ambassador to the DRC

On September 28, 2009, the world awoke to fresh reports of unspeakable violence against women. In Guinea, the "berets rouges," the Presidential guard, raped women of all ages - in groups, with weapons, and with such brutality that many who weren't immediately killed died soon afterwards of their injuries.

Neither the scale nor the scope of this violence is new. For the past ten years, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, armed groups have been raping and mutilating women as part of a deliberate and coordinated strategy to destroy civilian communities. And gender-based violence is not limited to war zones or regions in conflict. Girls and women are targeted because of their sex at every point in their lives, from sexual slavery, to inadequate healthcare and nutrition given to girls, to child marriage, forced labor- and this is not an exhaustive list.

Here in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tens of thousands of women and girls in North and South Kivu have been abducted, attacked, raped, sexually assaulted and even mutilated or killed. The threat of violence is a daily reality for almost all women and girls living in eastern Congo and few have access to protection, education or economic opportunities. Violence against women is not only a by-product of the war in Congo but also a military strategy systematically used to terrorize and humiliate women. Life-saving care, including drugs to prevent sexually-transmitted infections, HIV and pregnancy, remains out of reach for many survivors of gender-based violence.

The assaults on women cannot be blamed on a few aberrant perpetrators. Rather, these diverse forms of violence stem from the entrenched and enduring low status of women and girls around the world and in the DRC itself. Ending the violence – treating the causes as well as the symptoms – requires not only that we increase prosecutions of perpetrators, but also that we work towards women's complete equality in every sphere of life.

Since 1991, the world has set aside 16 days, from November 25 to December 10, to underscore the idea that violence committed against women because of their gender is a fundamental violation of human rights. This violence is not "cultural;" it is criminal. It is every nation's problem, and it needs a response that is commensurate with the seriousness of these crimes.

As part of the U.S. Embassy’s efforts to highlight our commitment to combating sexual and gender-based violence in the context of the 16 days of activism, I, along with Mr. Emile Bongeli, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction, and Mrs. Marie-Ange Lukiana, Minister of Gender, Women and Children's Affairs, launched the $7 million “ESPOIR” project on December 10 to assist survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the International Rescue Committee, includes support for clinics, hospitals, community centers for women and children, and mental health services through partnerships with Congolese NGOs, health facilities, and community-based groups in North and South Kivu provinces. This project is part of Secretary of State Clinton’s commitment to addressing this critical issue.

Gender-based violence is not solely a women's issue; it is a global challenge to human rights and security. As an international problem, it requires international solutions. The United States is committed to working with the Government of the DRC, multilateral institutions, and a wide range of private partners - from activists and advocates, to survivors and civil society leaders - to end impunity for those who perpetrate these crimes, and to ensure that laws that recognize women's equality and right to be free from violence are implemented fully.

Women are the key to progress and prosperity in the 21st century. When they are marginalized and mistreated, humanity cannot progress. When they are accorded their rights and afforded equal opportunities in education, health care, employment, and political participation, they lift up their families, their communities, and their nations.

It is time that ending violence against women became a priority for us all.