United Nations and non-governmentorganizations estimate that hundreds of thousands of women and girls in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo are victims of rape and sexual violence as a result ofCongo's brutal civil war.
Eve Ensler is founder of V-Day, the global movementto end violence against women. She has traveled to the DRC three times in thepast 18 months. Beginning thisWednesday, February 11, her organization is launching a five-city tour in theUnited States to raise funds and consciousness about the plight of Congo's rapevictims.
Ensler told VOA rape in the DRC has become acountry sport that must be stopped.
"Whatwe know has happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo is that U.N.peacekeepers are involved in rape, the Congolese have been involved in rape,the FDLR has been involved in rape, Nkunda's forces have been involved in rape.It's actually become a kind of country sport," she said.
Enslersaid she's happy that within the last year and the half her organization,V-Day, has been instrumental in making the plight of Congolese rape victims afront page news event
"Rightnow in V-Day this year there will be 4,000 events all of which will focus onthe women of the DRC, there'll be 600 teachings, we have huge events happeningin London, in Paris, in Brussels and in a 120 countries. So I think there isabsolutely a movement being generated. The most important thing that hashappened is that in the DRC itself in eastern Congo women are mobilizing totake back control of their own destiny," Ensler said.
Shesaid a war is being waged on the bodies of women in the DRC that is consciousand international.
"Violenceagainst women is not particular to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It happensin every single country of the world. But what is happening in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo is something very strategic and very malevolent. I have seenand heard stories where soldiers who are known to have AIDS, for example, aresent into villages to rape the women. I have seen situations where soldiers whohave STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are sent into villages. I've seensituations where men are basically controlled and directed to rape women infront of their husbands which absolutely destroys the family," Ensler said.
UsingUnited Nations and non-government organizations estimates, Ensler said between 3and 400,000 Congolese women have been raped in the last 12 years. She saidunless it is stopped immediately, rape with impunity will spread throughoutAfrica.
Enslersaid the high rate of rape and sexual crimes against women in the DRC hasnothing to do with the culture of the region.
"Byno means do I think it's cultural because I was in the Bosnia war where I sawthousands of women being raped, and I've been in all kinds of countries. I don'tthink you can underestimate the history of genocide and colonialism anddegradation that has already occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, butwhere there's complete impunity, where the international community isindifferent and where the local government has failed to create justice, if youdon't stop rape, if you don't say it's unacceptable, it's like a virus, it willspread," Ensler said.
Thefive-city tour begins this Wednesday in New York, and moves on to Los Angeles,San Francisco, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.
Enslerhoped the tour will raise new awareness of the rape and sexual violence crisisin the DRC.
