Dr. Denis Mukewege, center, founder and director of Panzi Hospital in Bakavu, DR Congo answers a question while attending a panel discussion entitled “Sexual Violence and the Political and Security Implications in the Congo.”

IMA USHINDI partner calls for action to stop rape in DRC

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Esteemed IMA partner Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder and director of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, DR Congo, participated in a June 30 panel before a packed auditorium of members of government, representatives from NGOs, international development professionals and students.

Dr. Denis Mukewege, left, with IMA President & CEO Rick Santos after the panel discussion.

The panel, titled “Sexual Violence and the Political and Security Implications in the Congo,” was hosted by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and is available for viewing online.

Panzi Hospital is a key partner in the IMA-led USHINDI project, funded by USAID. Dr. Mukwege and his staff at Panzi have treated over 30,000 women, mostly victims of SGBV, for free since opening the clinic in 1999.

During his remarks, Dr. Mukwege expressed his fear that rape has become an “inevitable” side effect of war, and that it has become “normal” and “acceptable” to use women and girls as targets – and more and more men are becoming victims as well. He called for a more coordinated effort within the Congolese government and military to address the root causes of these crimes and to follow through on punishing offenders.

The motivation for this violence, he said, is not of sexual desire but of premeditated war strategy. Through mass rape, offenders hope to achieve widespread displacement of women and villages, giving the perpetrators access to valuable minerals. They may also attempt to reduce village populations through the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and by destroying women’s ability to conceive and bear children. Finally, these rapes destroy the fabric of a society – which, he explained, is very difficult to restore – by creating confusion and frustration over children’s identities and parentage as well as through political and economic humiliation.

Fellow panelist Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, US Department of State, recounted Secretary Hilary Clinton’s comments after her 2009 visit to Dr. Mukwege at Panzi Hospital. Clinton reportedly saw “humanity at its worst” during her trip to DRC, but she “also saw humanity at its best in Dr. Mukwege.” Otero also discussed the US government’s involvement in ending violence against women, which she sees as a threat to international peace and security.

Closing out the presentation, Dr. Mukwege commented, “I am pleased by this conference. It gives me a push to go back [to DRC] and tell everyone that there are men and women here who are thinking about these issues too.”