Displaced women in eastern DRC face growing risk of sexual violence amid conflict

• Long-standing armed conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has left displaced women highly vulnerable to sexual violence while seeking domestic work.
• Perpetrators include not only armed rebels but also civilians who exploit the extreme poverty and desperation of women fleeing war.
• Victims rarely report abuse due to the fear of retaliation and the critical need to maintain their fragile livelihoods.
• Psychosocial support and income-generating initiatives are essential to empowering survivors and fostering community resilience.

Conflict and Vulnerability

• The region has been plagued by continuous conflict since the 1990s, with M23 rebels resurging in North Kivu since 2012.
• Displaced women, struggling to survive in camps like Don Bosco, frequently venture into towns looking for manual labor to feed their families, making them easy targets for predators.
• Survivors report that the psychological trauma of these encounters is compounded by the economic necessity of continuing to work for potential abusers.

Legal and Social Response

• Attorney Patrick Musambali notes that such violence is a violation of Article 170 of the Congolese Penal Code, punishable by 5 to 20 years of imprisonment.
• Clinical Psychologist Semu Sikulimwenge emphasizes that psychosocial support is vital for creating safe spaces, while economic independence is key to long-term recovery.
• NGOs like Women Power provide medical and psychological care while advocating for the prosecution of offenders.

Strategies for Survival

• Approximately 70 percent of women at the Kashaka Shabindu camp are at risk of violence, leading to severe health consequences including unwanted pregnancies and STIs.
• To avoid reliance on dangerous work, many displaced women are forming small-scale businesses to gain financial independence.
• Advocates maintain that lasting change requires an environment where survivors can report abusers without fear, ensuring that crimes do not go unpunished.