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“The stories we’re hearing from women are terrible”

Posted by Wynne Boelt on November 2nd, 2007

People displaced by spiraling violence in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 2007 Photo: Bob Kitchen/The IRC
Photo: Bob Kitchen/The IRC
Voice of America interviewed Bob Kitchen, IRC emergency response team coordinator, about the ongoing fighting and violence in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday. Kitchen said the violence caused ‘very, very large-scale displacement’ leading to numerous health problems. “In some of the clinics we’ve seen the average daily consultations go from three to five people a day up to 200,” Kitchen said. The violence has led to widespread rape and sexual assault against civilians. “The stories we’re hearing from women are terrible,” Kitchen said.
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This entry was posted on Friday, November 2nd, 2007 at 3:44 pm and is filed under Africa, emergencies, news, women. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to ““The stories we’re hearing from women are terrible””

  1. Amina Gisèle Says:
    November 3rd, 2007 at 4:35 am

    I’m leading the Women Trauma healing and Care Centre in Bukavu, a project of the Fondation Chirezi, which is caring for women victims of violence in East DRC. Among other activities we are providing trauma healing services to those women, organize literacy courses and train them into different economic activities aimed to help them stand on their feet again. See:www.womenof.ourcongo.net/bukavu/0708amina.htm.
    The scale of violence against women in the surroundings of Bukavu is unimaginable. SInce 2002, the peace processes have never have an impact on security for women in South Kivu. It is good to report the massive desplacement of population in North Kivu and the violence against women there but it is not true to limit the horrors to that province only. The situation of the women touches all the Eastern Province and think a wholistic solution is more than needed here. At our center in Muhungu, Bukavu we have more than 100 women coming to our daily detraumatisation sessions every day. We are not funded and we have no subsidy to respond adequately that. We also have 22 women who are trained into sewing activity but the trainer has reported recently that more than 5O presented themselves to him to ask for training in order, they said : “We want to secure our tomorrow life and those of our children economically”

    We hope that more and more voices will arise for the struggle for the emancipation of women in East DRC.

    We are organising a women campaign agaist women violence in Bukavu but have not been able to raise funds for that important even.
    Please, echoe us.

    For Women Trauma healing and care Center,

    Amina Gisèle
    Women Trauma healing and care Center
    FOCHI
    BUKAVU
    DRC

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