These are the options the women of a camp in the Congo have.
To either risk a very high chance of being raped on the way to gather firewood,
or to render themselves and their families unable to eat food cooked over a
campfire.
How can any human being make this choice? They cannot, for
there is no choice. The task of the
Congan women has been to gather cooking supplies and prepare food (while the
men gather the food or work to buy it) for as long as anyone can remember. And
it’s not about to change any time soon. Without the women upholding their end,
the survival of entire families is put in jeopardy.
So what is forced upon these poor women? Accepting the very
high probability that one day, while out in the national park, away from the
camps safety… They will be violated in cold blood. It blows my mind how anyone
can commit rape in the first place, but knowing that these women are gathering
supplies essential to the survival of entire
families? And knowing that the rapist’s partner (if he has one) most likely
must do the exact same thing as these poor victims to be able to feed the
rapist? Abhorring… Some parts of Africa are truly undeveloped, and one can only
hope as time progresses change will be made and light will be shone on these
horrific situations that human beings are put in. Nations such as the Congo,
where rape has basically been desensitized and everyone knows rape victims /
rapists (Ten women per day are raped
in this community, which consists only of fifty thousand habitants). This sends
the message that this is something normal human beings do, and is O.K. Although
it is not an easy fix, something must
be done to stop this insanity. All humans have rights, and the right to not
being sexually violated is one of the most universal and exalted ones.
Article Link: http://refugeesinternational.org/blog/congo-women-face-impossible-choice-risk-rape-or-go-hungry
And here's a cool picture:
I agree with you. I can’t imagine the troubling thoughts of the women about to leave the camp for the sake of their families. They know that there is a good chance that some men might happen upon them and take advantage of the women. That choice must be the worst one to make.
ReplyDeleteTo change the current situation in Congo, relief and aid must be given and allowed to create sustainable solutions. As stated in the article, such instances of aid have not had enough funding to create sustainable solutions. What is even worse is that the National Police of Congo don’t patrol the areas because they are afraid of the gangs. If the Police could become more heavily involved, the situation might get better.
The desensitization of sexual violence is most definitely a human rights violation. If the women of Congo living in the camps do not have the security to walk out to the forests surrounding to provide for their families, changes must be made. In the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, two of the articles say that everyone has the right to “security of person” and the right to not be subject to “inhuman or degrading treatment”. These articles, 3 and 5, respectively lay out the basic securities a person should be given with regards to treatment. One instance of rape, I believe, is a violation of these rights. The pain suffered by a single woman who is raped is horrible, and in Congo, this pain occurs for 10 women daily in each camp. The women of Congo are strong and brave for their families and I find that fact admirable.