Alternative report for the Committee on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women
55th session
July 8 – 26, 2013
This report is the result of the joint work of 20 NGOs from South and North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo, who took part in a training session in April 2013, organised by the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) and Women's Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence (SFVS).
NGOs from North Kivu : AFEMED/NK, Défenseur judiciaire et association dynamique des femmes juristes, Association pour la Défense des Droits de la Femme (ADDF), Femmes Engagées pour la Promotion de la Santé Intégrale (FEPSI), Mutaani FM, Marche Mondiale de la femme, Action Aid International, Programme Promotion des Soins de Santé Primaires (PPSSP), Marche Mondiale des femmes, Synergie des femmes/Walikale UCF
NGOs from South Kivu : SOS Information Juridique Multisectorielle (SOS IJM), Congo Renaitre, ASBL/REVIVRE, APC, Action des Chrétiens Activistes des Droits de l’Homme a Shabunda (ACADHOSHA), Syndicat d'Initiatives pour le développement du territoire de Mwenga (SIDEM), Association des Femmes Juristes Congolaises (AFEJUCO), Coordinatrice Provinciale Regard Rural Sans Frontière (RRSF), Centre Olame, Arche D’Alliance.
For over two decades, serious human rights violations have been perpetrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Congolese army (FARDC), the police (PNC) and the security forces, as well as national and foreign armed groups, are responsible for many abuses against the Congolese civilian population, including killings, looting, torture and acts of sexual violence against women. The problem of sexual violence in DRC has been the subject of particular attention from the international community since the wars that took place between 1996 and 2002, when a large number of women and girls were victims of rape perpetrated by the parties to the conflict.
In North and South Kivu, the civilian population is still facing these atrocities and many girls and women continue to be victims of sexual violence. Abuses by armed groups take place within a context of lack of security which has been exacerbated by desertions from the ranks of the army in April 2012; the creation of the M23 armed group and the redeployment of the FARDC.
South and North Kivu are regions rich in mineral resources. Armed groups and the FARDC vie for control of mining areas, which has transformed this region into an area of violent rivalry. Armed groups and the FARDC use sexual violence as “a weapon of war” to control the region and destroy families and communities.
Women survivors of sexual violence are often reluctant to report these crimes, out of both fear and shame. In most cases, it is the victims who are stigmatized and the perpetrators are not prosecuted. Indeed, a woman raped in the DRC may be expelled from her home and community. Added to this risk is the difficulty for many women to access justice and compensation, particularly in some remote parts of North and South Kivu. The perpetrators of these crimes also take advantage of the general climate of impunity to continue to commit their atrocities. Currently, impunity is a major factor in the perpetuation of these crimes.
Violence against women, including sexual violence, is not only perpetrated by armed groups and rebel groups, but also by civilians. Although sexual violence perpetrated by civilians is inherent to armed conflict, it should in addition be understood as part of a continuum of violence against women and girls in peacetime, during conflict and in post-conflict situations. This violence is part of a wider context of discrimination and inequality, which victimizes women. During armed conflict, gender inequalities and methods of discrimination are further exacerbated. In the DRC, women remain under-represented and are often excluded from many areas of society (political, economic, social and cultural) and from decision-making bodies.
The aim of this report is to present the main causes of violence against women in the DRC, particularly in North and South Kivu. Firstly, the report examines the status of women in national legislation as well as their under-representation in certain sectors of society (Chapter 1). Subsequently, the report analyzes the different forms of violence suffered by women at the family, community and state levels (Chapter 2). Finally, a set of recommendations are made to end violence against women in North and South Kivu.
Contact:
- Justine Masika Bihamba, SFVS : justinemasika@gmail.com / +41 77 961 30 70
- Carin Benninger, violence against women Coordinator : cbb@omct.org / +41 22 809 49 39
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