By Godfrey Olukya 26-2-2016
A fact-finding mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo,led by
Nobel peace laureate Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, and organized by the
International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict
today called on the government of the DRC and the international
community to put women at the centre of peace efforts and bring an end
to rampant sexual violence, Africa press has reported.
“They say that the DRC is the rape capital of the world,” said Gbowee.
“But what I see is that it is the capital of strong women and
solidarity among women. We are here to support the courageous women
who have survived rape and other forms of sexual violence–and are now
working to help other survivors. These women are the peacemakers, and
they need to be supported to bring true peace to this country. They
have told us: ‘enough is enough’–no more war on women’s bodies.”
The group, which also included American journalists, philanthropists
and women’s right experts, visited Kigali (Rwanda), Bunia in the
Orientale province of the DRC and Bukavu in South Kivu of the DRC. At
each stop, the group met with women’s organizations, grassroots groups
working on justice, provincial government officials, and officials
from the UN and other international organizations–and also toured
women-led projects aimed at supporting survivors of sexual violence.
The delegation came to the DRC at the invitation of women’s
organizations in the DRC that are part of the International Campaign
to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict.
“We work with organizations around the world who care deeply about the
situation of women in the DRC,” said Julienne Lusenge, the President
of Solidarity Feminine pour la Paix et le Development Integral
(SOFEPADI). “Together with our partners in the International Campaign
to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict, we are calling upon the
governments of the region to come together with us to ensure adequate
access to care for survivors of sexual violence all across the DRC–and
end the impunity that still exists for committing rape and other
atrocities against women.”
The fact-finding mission met with over 350 women in the DRC. The women
presented the delegation with key recommendations for the government
of the DRC, governments in the region as well as the international
community. The recommendations include greater protection for human
rights defenders, effective application of transitional justice in DRC
and reparations for survivors, access to a full range of services for
survivors (medical, psychological, legal and socio-economic, family
planning) across the DRC, reform of the police, army and other
judiciary mechanisms and the full implementation of the National
Action Plan on Sexual and Gender-based Violence.
One of the key concerns is the lack of adequate funding for grassroots
women’s organizations.
“Groups like SOFEPADI do so much,with so little,” said Elizabeth
Bernstein, the Executive Director of the Nobel Women’s Initiative
(http://www.nobelwomensinitiative.org), an organization created by six
women Nobel peace laureates. “These small organizations have the
knowledge and skills to provide a full range of services to women in
the DRC. We are calling for more direct support to such grassroots
organizations.”
The delegation will end it’s mission in Kigali, where it will be
meeting with local officials, members of the diplomatic community and
representatives of international agencies.
END
