Congo: Rape As A Weapon Of War

War has raged through the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a decade -- it has been called the deadliest conflict since World War II.

The United Nations estimates that 200,000 women and girls have been raped in that time, some victims as young as three years old.

Both the Congolese army and rebel groups have used rape as a weapon of war.

Armed groups use rape to tear apart families, spread disease and weaken communities. Women are often victimized doubly -- first by their rapists and secondly by spouses or family members who then find it dishonorable or socially unacceptable to associate with them.

Worldfocus special correspondent Michael J. Kavanagh of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and video journalist Taylor Krauss recently reported from eastern Congo. Together with Lisa Biagiotti and Bijan Rezvani, they produced this signature story.

See their previous signature story: War in DR Congo: The story of Pascal and Vestine.

Watch more stories at Worldfocus.

Read more HuffPost stories on Congo here.

Comments

[harriettubman]

What religion? I don't see any religion mentioned. Far too long the patriarchal society of Africa has raped and pilaged women. Arabs are kidnapping girls and raping them too. I guess the burqas in their own countries aren't covering enough. Enough of this nonsense. Any myth that can be believed it always resorts to something that involves a woman!!!

In S. Africa the fools were raping infants to get rid of AIDS. What utter idiocy. The myth never involves another grown man but a female. Hmmmmm.

[megso]

I don't remember hearing anything about religion in this clip. I believe you can blame this violence and horror on the violence and horror of war. That said, what can we do? Someone mentioned boycotting x-mas. Unless you take the money you would have spent on gifts and donate it to a nonprofit organization to help combat this, it would be an empty gesture.
Yes, we need to educate people in Congo that rape is not a woman's or a child's fault and that they are victims of a terrible crime. But we also need to look at the underlying reason there is a war in the DRC in the first place. Unless you address those issues, you're not going to achieve change.
And then, we need to tell our friends, our families, and any one else who will listen, what's going on there, and we need to do something. It's too terrible. We can't sit by and do nothing and then be ashamed of ourselves 10-20-30 years from now when our children ask us how we could just sit back and let this happen. The people in the DRC live with this terror day after day. And sadly, they have been for a few years now.

[timberdoodle]

The underlying culprit in the way women are treated of course is religion. This is why I could never understand women being religious and buying into the rhetoric that has historically focused on keeping them second class citizens.

[harriettubman]

I believe in religion and consider myself a Christian but there comes a time and place where we must use common sense. However, in some of these countries the women don't know any better because they've never been outside of their world.
They obey these male savages and the Islamic faith that seems to be dominating much of Africa these days. They tolerate being pregnant until old age; having so many children they don't know what to do with them; genital mutilation; rapes of women and children; turning boys into killer soldiers. It's never ending. I'm fatigued with these issues. It all falls back on the female. We never read about genital mutilation on a male. He could have his b*alls cut off if its such an important ritual.

When the world started speaking out about the treatment of the women being beaten by the Taliban in Afghanistan, many of the women wanted the world to stay out of their business.

[JaneAustenFan]

What a stupid comment. You hide behind your feminist idealism presuming this is all about the victimization of women. I take great offense at your assertion that they are going through this horrific violence because "they don't know any better." How dare you! Do you know any better? Do you know anything about contemporary African society? Has anyone told you that Congo is an overwhelmingly Christian majority country? Your attempt at conveying sympathy is an utter failure because not only do you assume their ignorance, but of course, their "savagery" as well. Get educated. Look inward first before you start pointing fingers. All these crimes you're relegating to "Others" (Muslims and Africans) is probably happening in your own perfect little community.­...

[Floripondio]

Hello.....­... male genital mutilation is far more prevalent than female: its called circumcision. And its practised all over the USA, besides much of the rest of the world.

[edgebrain]

He is a "man of honor!?" Where is the honor in leaving your wife of 33 years because "your friends made fun of you, for staying with her when she was raped." With friends like that.... My 3 year old knows more about honor.

[harriettubman]

That's your American perspective. This man happens to be African and this is a cultural belief for him.

[Tatiana]

Agree totally. Was going to say or write that comment but you beat me to it! OMG! I couldn't finish watching the video it made me sick.
How could this happen? And why? Honor? He needs to be whipped and snoggled!

[marew]

Between this, young girls having acid poured on them because they simply wanted to attend school, "honor" killings, female circumcision-- really mutilation, etc., where is the outrage against these types of aberrations against women? It was not long ago a teenager on the other side of the world was stoned to death after she was RAPED by three men after SHE was tried in a "court of law." Her father reported the incident to the police and his daughter was arrested?!? Another girl was hanged for simply sitting in a car with a man she was not related to. Why aren't we advocating human rights for women all over the world? This is horrible.

[harriettubman]

Exactly. I want to scream from the top of Killamanjaro about this nonsense done to females all over Africa! When a female finds her voice, Africa will be forever changed!

[AngieMom57]

How can anyone "celebrate" the Christmas season with this type of behavior going on in the world?

Shame on the consumer, shame on the corporations that profit while people like the ones in this post suffer.

Boycott Christmas shopping, throw away your diamonds!

[ms.understood]

it doesn't take education to inform these idiots that when a woman is raped, it's not her fault. men are usually physically stronger than women, so how in the hell is she to fight off 3? some people are just foolish because they want to be. she should be glad that her husband is no longer with her because he failed to protect her anyway.

[KarlaElisa]

I am so sickened by this I don't even know what to say.

Where's the Deciders 'war on terror' when it comes to this sh*t?

[watchingthings]

"War on Terror" is a tool invented by this administration to be used by the Millitary Industrial Complex.

[scottyva]

The Perpetrators of this Violence are Driven by Power and Supported by Allies of the Administration. There will be More UN Peacekeepers on the Ground but it will take 6 Months to deploy the 3,100 Troops. ( The US Deployed 500,000 in Six Months during Desert Shield/Desert Storm wtf is this logic?)

As for the War on Terror? This is the Last Act of the Tragic Rwandan Genocide of the 1990s. So some may feel that we should let it run its course. I feel that Overlooking the Actions of the Government of the DRC is short sighted. They have been just as Adept at committing Atrocities as the Various Militias that are active in the Kivu Provinces.

When the new Administration takes over on Jan 20 will there be a change in US Policy?

[bavb63]

This is a cultural phenomenon and change must come from changing the attitudes of the spouses and family members. Will someone please educate this culture about rape? And anyone who says that it is "none of our business" then get raped.