Social issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country located in central Africa.

Contents

Poverty

The Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) has one of the highest incidences of poverty in the world. And unfortunately it is still going on. DRC is #1 out of 11 top poor countries in the world (2014) At a rate of 71.34, its incidence of poverty is “extremely high”, even in comparison with other central African countries. However, this poverty is not evenly distributed. The IMF estimates that poverty is more prevalent in rural areas (75.72%) than in urban areas (61.49%), while the provinces of Équateur, Bandundu and Sud-Kivu have a poverty incidence of over 85% compared to Kinshasa’s 42%. [1]

The DRC’s high incidence of poverty is partly attributable to the ethnic conflict that spilled over from neighboring Rwanda and an ongoing civil war between government troops and rebel groups in Eastern Congo. The sustained levels of violence have caused massive infrastructural damage, internal displacement, and loss of property and lives. In 2007, the International Rescue Committee estimated that 5.4 million people had died from the war and that another 1,250 continue to die each day from war-related causes. [2] [3]

In order to reduce the levels of poverty in the country, the government embarked on IMF recommended reforms to improve its macroeconomic environment, initiate policies to support economic growth as well as improve its provision of basic social services. While the results have been mixed, the IMF notes in its 2010 report that Congo’s economic governance has improved, over 22,000 km of roads have been completed and “significant progress” have been made in increasing primary school enrollment from 64.1% in 2004 to 84.3% in 2008 and reducing infant mortality. [4]

Sexual Violence

Sexual violence has characterised much of the violence perpetuated inyes

Congo. Used as a tactic of war, the daily violations of women and children by armed groups have created a climate of fear and a reputation for the DRC as world’s “worst place to be a woman or a child”. [5]  Women from ages “six to eighty” have become victims and one statistic suggests that over 200,000 women may have been victimized over the past decade, while another notes that in some regions, as many as 40 women are raped every day. [6] 

However, despite the massive scale of violence against women committed, the level of assistance that victims can expect in the form of medical care or post-traumatic counseling service is minimal[ clarification needed ] to the point of non-existence, especially if one considers that only three practicing gynecologists serve North Kivu, a province of over 800,000 people. [7] Most of the rape shelters in the DRC are operated by foreign or international non-governmental organizations. But despite this intervention by the international community, supply has been insufficient to meet demand. [8]

In addition to psychological and physical trauma, rape victims bear socio-economic costs. For instance, the families of raped women are only paid a dowry price of two goats, if at all, as compared to the typical price of 20 goats. Consequently, raped women are often abandoned by their husbands whilst raped girls have difficulty marrying. [9] Thus, in the context of the DRC’s patriarchal society, where women are dependent on men – first their fathers and later husbands – for economic support, their status as rape victims inevitably affects their economic well-being.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> National economy

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has declined drastically around the 1980s, despite being home to vast potential in natural resources and mineral wealth; their gross domestic product is $69.474 billion as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Country in Central Africa

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as Congo-Kinshasa, is a country in Central Africa. By land area, the DRC is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of around 112 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world. The national capital and largest city is Kinshasa, which is also the economic center. The country is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, the Cabinda exclave of Angola and the South Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Kivu</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

South Kivu is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its capital is Bukavu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukavu</span> Provincial capital and city in South Kivu, DR Congo

Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lying at the extreme south-western edge of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the South Kivu Province and as of 2012 it had an estimated population of 806,940.

Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, the capital of the Sud-Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It specializes in treating survivors of violence, the large majority of whom have been sexually abused. After years of military rape in South Kivu, there is increased civilian adoption of sexual violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Overview of education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Primary education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is not free or compulsory.

Social Aid For the Elimination of Rape (SAFER) is a Canadian humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization that was formed in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo produces copper, diamonds, tantalum, tin, gold, and more than 63% of global cobalt production. Minerals and petroleum are central to the DRC's economy, making up more than 95% of the value of its exports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Overview of the status of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have not attained a position of full equality with men, with their struggle continuing to this day. Although the Mobutu regime paid lip service to the important role of women in society, and although women enjoy some legal rights, custom and legal constraints still limit their opportunities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Overview of the health system of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Health problems have been a long-standing issue limiting development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the east of the country in particular, has been described as the "Rape Capital of the World", and the prevalence and intensity of all forms of sexual violence has been described as the worst in the world. Human Rights Watch defines sexual violence as "an act of a sexual nature by force, or by threat of force or coercion", and rape as "a form of sexual violence during which the body of a person is invaded, resulting in penetration, however slight, of any part of the body of the victim, with a sexual organ, or of the anal or genital opening of the victim with any object or other part of the body."

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced labor and forced prostitution. The majority of this trafficking is internal, and much of it is perpetrated by armed groups and government forces outside government control within the DRC's unstable eastern provinces.

Cinema of the Democratic Republic of the Congo originated with educational and propaganda films during the colonial era of the Belgian Congo. Development of a local film industry after the Democratic Republic of the Congo gained its independence from Belgium in 1960, and was handicapped by constant civil war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minova</span> Town in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Minova is a town in the Kalehe Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is an important business center for farm-fishery products. It is very close to Idjwi Island, Masisi Territory, Lake Kivu on its North Western shore and is only 45 km from the Goma city. The town's development is linked with important refugee-related history, including those from Rwanda in 1994, those from Masisi in 1992–1997, and other surrounding areas in northern South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is known for being the site of the systematic rape of refugees by DRC troops. WE actually find many local organisations involved in the management of Gender Based Violence (GBV) working tirelessly to restore dignity to women and girls who were raped( Panzi Foundation DRC is one of them, and it is very active in Buzi -Bulenga area).

During the first and second conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all armed parties to the conflict carried out a policy of genocidal rape, with the primary purpose being the total destruction of communities and families. Such was the violence directed at and carried out towards women that Human Rights Watch (HRW) described it as "a war within a war". HRW has reported that as of March 2013, civil conflict had reignited when the militia, March 23 Movement (M23), resumed hostilities following a ceasefire.

Justine Masika Bihamba is a Congolese activist. As coordinator of Synergy of Women for Victims of Sexual Violence, she works to improve the lives of rural women, defend human rights and assist victims of war, especially women survivors of acts of sexual violence. This work is focussed in the province of North Kivu, and she has also campaigned for justice more widely in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She has won considerable international recognition for her achievements. She has on several occasions been subject to threats of arrest or death.

Solange Lwashiga Furaha is a human and women's rights activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the executive secretary of the South Kivu Congolese Women's Caucus for Peace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Overview of poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Poverty is widespread and unchecked across the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Despite being the second-largest country in Africa, with an approximate area of 2.3 million square kilometres (890,000 sq mi), and being endowed with rich natural resources, the DRC is the second-poorest country in the world. The average annual income is only $449 US dollars. In 2019, the United Nations (UN) Human Development Index (HDI) ranked the DRC as the 175th least-developed country out of 189 countries with an HDI of 0.480. More than 80% of Congolese people live on less than $1.25 a day, defined as the threshold for extreme poverty.

Child marriage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the eighteenth highest in the world. In a child marriage, one or both parties are under the age of eighteen years old. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 37% of girls are married before they turn eighteen, and 10% of girls are married before age fifteen. Though significantly less than the rate of child marriage for girls, 6% of boys in the DRC are married before age eighteen.

The Nduma Defense of Congo is a militia that operates in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the Kivu conflict. Mai-Mai groups are militia unique to the eastern DRC, formed ostensibly to defend villages from attacks from Rwandan forces and Rwandan-backed rebel groups. However, Mai-Mai groups have been accused of sexual violence, looting, and fighting all sides including fellow militias, the DRC Army, and the United Nations.

References

  1. International Monetary Fund, “Democratic Republic of Congo: Poverty Reduction Paper,” IMF Country Report, September (2007): 22.
  2. Robinson,Simon. “The Deadliest War in the World.” Time Magazine, 28 May 2006.
  3. Kristof,Nicholas D. “Orphaned, Raped, Ignored.” The New York Times, 30 January 2010.
  4. International Monetary Fund, "Democratic Republic of Congo: Poverty Reduction Paper – Progress Report", IMF Country Report, October (2010): 7-11.
  5. Human Rights Watch, “Soldiers Who Rape, Commanders Who Condone”, Human Rights Watch, July (2009): 14.
  6. Seymour,Lisa Ann. Collective Rape: The Continued Victimisation of Women in the International System. Master's Thesis, Kent State University, 2010, 86-89.
  7. Hartill, Lane. “Rape in Congo: Grim Stathtistics, Tender Lives.” Catholic Relief Services, "Rape in Congo: Grim Statistics, Tender Lives". Archived from the original on 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2011-03-01. (accessed 20 February 2010).
  8. Bosmans,Marleen. “Challenges in Aid to Rape Victims: the Case of the Democratic Republic of Congo.” Essex Human Rights Review, Vol. 4, no. 1 (2007).
  9. Kristof 2010.