Side Event 13th Human Rights Council
Organized by WILPF & FAS

Women in the DRC: the Context of Abuse
What they face, why and how to progress.
Films shown: Fighting the Silence and Weapon of War

Ambassador Bente Angell-Hansen, Norway, begins the discussion by taking the floor and addressing the issues raised by the films about rape, gender equality, and a society in conflict. Respect, she argues, is the a key to the core of these events; the society must learn to create equality for all citizens before the law. She points to the progress made in South Africa as an example.

Richard Lukuna, Advisor to the Human Rights Minister of the DRC, advocates for peace in the region—conflict, he argues, intensifies violence against women. In 2006 the DRC adopted and has been implementing a multi-faceted National Strategy to fight sexual violence.  The components of this plan are: law and fighting (enforcing the laws against sexual violence), protection for women, support to police and armed forces to support victims needs, and managing data in regards to sexual violence occurrences.  The DRC is striving to raise awareness of the problem of sexual violence, especially in the higher levels of society, both nationally and internationally.

Yao Agbetse, Human Rights Expert Fransiscans International, provides facts and figures to emphasize the gravity of the problem in the DRC.  Systematic sexual violence is a strategized practice of rebel groups, but also of the DRC army and police forces.  In 2007 more than 20,000 rape cases were reported, 67% of which were against minors.  Rape of young girls and old women has become commonplace, as have extreme forms of sexual violence involving violating the women with sticks, rocks, bottles, or weapons, and gang rape.  Reports reveal that 22% of victims are HIV positive, 10% become pregnant by the rapers, and 66% separate from their husbands as a result of the trauma.  The speaker encourages all women, and especially the victims to reach out to one another, despite the threats and danger in which such actions can place them. Regaining and retaining their dignity is vital to the victims, and the case of gender equality in the country.

Scott Campbell, Head Africa Field Programmes of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, turns the focus from the victims to the prosecution of the perpetrators.  The law has neither the resources nor the infrastructure to deal with this problem.  Especially in the cases of army or police officers, men who commit sexual violence enjoy an unbefitting degree of impunity from the law.  Many cases never make it to court, and even for those that do, jail time is minimal, and escape from the imprisonment facilities is common. The Human Rights Council suggests as beginning steps towards remedying these inadequacies: reformation to the family code, adoption and enforcement of a gender equality code, abolishment of all forms of discrimination against women before the law, development of a good system to ensure prosecution of criminals, and the institution of a national fund for reparation payments to rape victims.

The film makers, Ilse and Femke van Velzen, finally take the floor for a brief presentation which gives additional insight into the situation on the ground in the DRC, and the motivations behind their projects. The film makers spent 6 years in the Congo researching and creating the film, and chose to present their first film as a human story about the victims and survivors of sexual violence, rather than an inquest into the root causes of the violence.  They found many women were eager to share their story, and many requested the film—created for Western audiences—to be screened in their areas to educate and inform the society about these problems. 

The second film focuses on examining and understanding the underlying causes of the men’s behaviors.  Rape and sexual violence committed by police and military personnel saturates the society.  Many of these men have backgrounds in conflict, suffer from PTSD, have no family or community support, and lash out with sexual violence due depression, loneliness, and anger; they are themselves victims of conflict in a society ill-equipped to deal with them.

An important aspect of these films, acccording to the film makers, is the impact in the DRC itself. Currently mobile cinemas are travelling throughout Congo and are creating awareness and increased attention for the human rights violations depicted in the movies. By gathering up to 15,000 Congolese viewers every screening sexual violence and connected human rights abuses become something that can be discussed openly. Which, in the eyes of the filmmakers, is the first step in fighting impunity.

Please click on the following links for:

• The statement made on behalf of WILPF DRC in the Human Rights Council;
• The contact details and additional information of the WILPF DRC Group;
• More information concerning the movies "Fighting the Silence" and "Weapon of War" and educational projects;
• An indepth analysis of "Weapon of War" by Human Rights student Jennifer Rosenberg;