SAVING THE WOMEN OF CONGO!

Congolese women are paying a terrible price for the conflict in eastern DRC. Those who escape the violence are often forced to find shelter in makeshift tent camps, without proper facilities or security - where they face a high risk of sexual assault.

Many have children in their care and seek work outside the camps, including in dangerous cobalt mines. This has also left them vulnerable to militants who abduct and rape.

Children are also subjected to sexual abuse, with stigma and unwanted pregnancies making the trauma even harder to bear.

According to a UNICEF report, the rise in sexual violence in Congo went up by 37% in the first three months of 2023, compared with the year before.

The systematic use of rape as a weapon of war has been labeled a “medical and humanitarian emergency,” as aid groups struggle to provide adequate health and psychological services to affected women and children.