International Rescue Committee UK

From 25 November to 10 December, the International Rescue Committee is observing the "16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence."

Tens of thousands of women and girls have been raped, sexually assaulted, attacked and abducted in the North and South Kivu provinces of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, targeted by armed groups with unparalleled levels of brutality. The IRC has helped over 40,000 survivors of sexual violence and their families providing emergency care, counseling and other support services. IRC colleagues in South Kivu shared one young survivor's story:

One scorching day last summer, 17-year-old Monique* tried to drown herself in a river. Less than a week later, she tried to hang herself.  Neighbors in remote, hilly South Kivu said the girl was possessed.  Her older brother refused to believe them. Instead, he brought his sister to a nearby IRC field office. Visibly shaken, he told the IRC social workers there that Monique had "a deep sadness inside." He pleaded for a "cure" for her. He said he wanted to help her find hope again.

The source of Monique’s "sadness," as she eventually told an IRC counselor, was a brutal rape that had left her in severe physical and psychological pain. She had kept it secret, for she feared that if others found out, they would blame her and stigmatise her. She feared that her family would throw her out of the house, and men would refuse to marry her.

There are many stories similar to Monique's in volatile eastern Congo, where rape is used as a weapon in a long-running conflict between armed groups vying for control of resources and territory. Human Rights Watch estimates that the incidence of rape has doubled or even tripled since January 2009, when the Congolese army launched an aggressive offensive against rebels in North and South Kivu provinces.

Many women and girls have been tortured and gang-raped, their bodies mutilated with pieces of burning wood, machetes and guns. Women may die, or be permanently disabled after such violence. In Congo, medical help is often several days' walk away over insecure and rugged terrain, leaving many women without access to lifesaving assistance.
 
In Monique's case, the IRC was able to refer her to safe, nearby medical care. When they discovered that she was pregnant from the rape, IRC staff helped mediate an urgent discussion with Monique's family, advocating that they support her through the pregnancy.

Because of the shame and stigma surrounding rape, families sometimes reject survivors. But with her brother at her side, the support of the IRC, and a local health worker assigned to look out for her, Monique says she did not feel abandoned.

Today Monique still lives with her family, who are supporting her and her baby. Her IRC caseworker says she is smiling again.  Although her psychological scars will take time and care to heal, Monique is no longer suicidal and afraid - she's found hope.

*not her real name