Stop Femicide and Discrimination against women in the D.R.Congo

Highlighting the issue of violence against women and girls in the D. R. Congo, where sexual violence has become a routine weapon of war and women discrimination is rooted from retrograde patriarchy.

Since 1996, sexual violence against women and children in the eastern part of the DRC has been used to torture and humiliate women and girls and destroy families

. In addition to the severe psychological impact, sexual violence leaves many survivors with genital lesions, traumatic fistulae and other physical wounds, as well as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Women and girls all over the world are campaigning and calling for an end to the violence and to impunity for those who commit these atrocities.

The campaign calls for an end to impunity for sexual violence, for measures to ensure that state armed forces and police do not perpetrate sexual violence against women and girls and for the full implementation of international, regional and national legal framework such as CEDAW, UN SC RES 1325/1820 that protect and empower women.

Within the DRC, local women’s organisations, in partnership with INGOs, social, medical and justices centres such as Olame centre and Panzi Hospital, as well as survivors, women leaders and local activists, support victims, document personal histories, run educational workshops, and spread the word about sexual violence via radio, comic books, theatre, song, leaflets, and a website. Local women’s and survivors groups are encouraged to participate and make their voices heard at the local national and international levels particularly that of government, the judiciary and the police.

Congolese people and many supporters all over the world are doing their best to raise awareness and raising funds to support local groups in the DRC that provide counselling, medical services and legal aid on the ground.

How you can help:
1) Educate yourself, your friends and your community, about women and girls in the DRC and other conflict zones around the world, and how cycles of violence could be stopped.

• Friends of Congo: http://www.friendsofthecongo.org/

• Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/en/africa/democratic-republic-congo

• The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
http://www.ukwilpf.org.uk/
www.WILPF.ch
www.PeaceWomen.org
www.ReachingCriticalWill.org
2) Get involved or support local groups

• http://www.peacewomen.org/contacts/africa/DRC/drc_index.html

• Support Olame Center http:// www.3tamis.org

• Support Panzi Hospital: http://www.panzihospitalbukavu.org/

• South Kivu Women's Media Association (AFEM-SK): http://englishafemsk.blogspot.com/2009/05/womens-enews-panel-discussion-with.html

• Heal Africa: http:// http://healafrica.org/cms/

• Support V-Day: http://www.vday.org/drcongo

1. Femicide is the systematic killing of women because they are women.

2. Discrimination and exclusion of Congolese women

3. Without Justice, there is no Peace. Without Peace there is no Life.

4. CEDAW, Maputo Protocol, UN SC RES 1325/1820