I would like to start off with a brief history of the Democratic Republic of Congo for those of you who are as unfamiliar as I was. Congo is a war ravaged country that has been in shambles for over a decade, even continuing through a peace settlement that was reached in 2003. The people of this country have been through so much, and death tolls continue to rise and rape is used as a weapon by enemy militia that tries to control the area. Forty-five thousand people die each month due to the violence and famine that has taken over this land. Women continue to be the main victims of such actions, they are unable to protect themselves and stay vulnerable, along with their children. They are in some cases even shunned by their husbands after such rapes and are left to care for their children alone, or left with no children at all (Raise Hope for Congo Campaign). "Perhaps worse than the loss of life is the staggering numbers of human rights violations – torture, mutilation, and sexual violence that has occurred against tens of thousands of women and children" (Women for Women International).
With this said, I shall move on to more important things. I am not writing to persuade anyone to hear my opinion or give their money to the cause; I am simply writing to learn and better my understanding of the problems in this country. I do not have all the answers nor will I ever, but I do believe that organizations such as the Raise Hope for Congo, Women for Women International, and the International Rescue Committee have the means to make change. By making Americans aware of the severity of the situation, I feel that along with these organizations, we can give the women of Congo a future worth living for just by being aware.
In my first post, I ranted on about the importance of education and how Americans, myself included, take it all for granted. There was a point to all that, hopefully you will understand as I delve into the topic at hand.
In the past, our efforts to aid Congo in its time of need have been ineffective, over-looked, and insubstantial. In 2008, Congress proposed a bill that would combat international violence against women and girls (H.R. 5927: International Violence Against Women Act of 2008). Being that Congressmen only hold a seat in the House for two consecutive years, this bill is now considered dead; meaning that this never became a law and in turn was over-looked (govtrack.us). People do not see the importance to fight for such bills, leaving them to fight for themselves; seems unlikely, but it happens all the time. In my findings along with this past bill, a new bill was introduced this month based on the same criteria as the latter. It states as follows:
" The Ambassador-at-Large shall coordinate with all relevant United States Government departments and agencies, particularly the United States Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, on all policies, programs, and funding of such departments and agencies relating to gender integration and empowerment of women, including ending violence against women and girls internationally"(H.R. 4594: To Combat International Violence Against Women and Girls).
This concept seems easy, the answer very simplistic, but the awareness is not there. Is it because it does not affect us personally? Are we unaware that these problems still occur? Or, as a nation, are we passive? Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times stated, "It's already very difficult to get Americans to show any interest in a remote, distant conflict, and if everyone in the drama is Congolese it's that much harder. An American protagonist in the column creates a connection to readers, I hope, and leaves them more engaged in the topic". Kristof was referring to Lisa Shannon, an American citizen whom he mentioned in some of his columns. Shannon personally got involved with Women for Women International after seeing a special on Oprah about the rape and war in the DR Congo; along with the NPO, she organized the Run for Congo Women. I believe that we need to make these issues our own, if they do not become personal, absolutely no change will be necessary to make.
Previously, I had mentioned a few non-profit organizations that have offered aid to the women of Congo. I have grown very fond of Women for Women International in my research. This NPO does not just assist the women of Congo, but women in destroyed countries worldwide. As I read more into it, I found out so much about the experts behind the curtains. It is a network of well educated women that have used their knowledge to spread the wealth, so to speak. In the DR Congo, Women for Women has given these women hope; providing the Congolese women with the information and support to start over. In the last two years, Women for Women International has expanded their program tremendously, aiding over 24,000 women and giving them a glimpse of hope. Some of the statistical results are as follows:
- 88% report having improvement in personal and family health
- 86% report having improved their economic situation
- 88% of women expressed increased self-confidence
- 83% report having a greater knowledge of their rights
- 88% expressed being more active in their community
- 87% report being more active in decision making
(Information provided by Women for Women International)
The women of Congo move a step towards a brighter future everyday with the help of NPOs and selfless citizens like Lisa Shannon. "The first step to building a movement is to raise awareness about the crisis in Congo. The campaign provides activists with informative tools to educate themselves and their communities about the conflict in eastern Congo and the epidemic of sexual violence against women and girls" (Raise Hope for Congo Campaign).
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