The worst place in the world for women

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Caritas Australia has released a shocking report detailing the extent of sexual conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the country, which has a long history of sexual crimes, rapes occur about 48 times an hour.

Caritas Australia is trying to bring this unimaginable statistic to light through a report entitled Fearless Voices: We are committed to peace, equality and justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“This document highlights the scourge of rape and sexual violence in a country considered the most dangerous place for women,” says Caritas Australia.

The program coordinator for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lulu Mitshabu, added that being a woman in Congo is more dangerous than being a soldier.

“My country has been plagued by exploitation for over a century and almost two decades of war,” Mitshabu said. “One of the greatest tragedies of this conflict is the relentless, calculated and brutal violence against women and girls.”

“A recent study found that 48 women are raped every hour in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And yet stigma, discrimination and continued impunity for sexual violence and other serious human rights violations remain the norm.”

Sexual violence is used as a means of controlling the country’s enormous natural resources, says Mitshabu. A raped woman is no longer seen as valuable – and her attacker often goes unpunished.

“It is a way of controlling people and resources. By destroying the women, we destroy the whole family. If the woman is raped, she has no value anymore. They are driven out of their home. And the husband will move away because he has to hide his face. This destroys families and tears communities apart, allowing others to take control of the coveted land.

“When women’s bodies become battlefields and rape is used as a weapon of war, it is time for solidarity and action.”

Caritas Australia is putting pressure on the Australian Government to publicly condemn sexual violence and human rights abuses in the Congolese community and to support global efforts to disarm the country.

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