Women’s Rights Award Goes to Julienne Lusenge, Congolese Activist Combating Rape

WHO

JULIENNE LUSENGE

WHERE

At the 10th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer and Switzerland's first female President Ruth Dreifuss awarded Julienne the 2018 International Women's Rights Award. 

WHY

Source: Geneva Summit

Julienne Lusenge worked as a humanitarian radio broadcaster when the 1998 inter-ethnic war began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As the war intensified, she witnessed and heard of women from her region being raped, tortured, and beaten. Revolted, she was compelled to mobilize other women and founded SOFEPADI to provide psychological and legal support, as well as reintegrate these women into the communities that had shunned them. But her work did not stop there. She documented and shared the victims' stories, publicly condemning the violent acts. In 2007, she initiated a second organization, the Fund for Congolese Women (FFC) and has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflicts.  

Source: Geneva Summit

Julienne has been recognized for her outstanding work and efforts and was awarded the Human Rights Award from the Embassy of France in 2013. She was also selected as their Knight of the Legion of Honour that same year. 

WHAT

Excerpts of her speech (translated from French):

• For over 30 years, the DRC has been plagued by armed conflict, and women's bodies are battlefields. 

• A case that really shocked us: a 3-year-old girl, raped by four adults. She immediately died. This case was the trigger for our fight for justice.  

• In 2008, while we were coming in to bring the women's voices to The Hague, our colleague in Bunia was assaulted by a machete and a bullet was shot in her ankle. Her husband and son were beaten, the house and all the property destroyed. 

• The DRC is not the capital of raped women; it is the capital of courageous women who are fighting, showing solidarity to defend their rights, to defend the peace cause.  

• Without peace there is no justice. Without justice there is no equality. Without equality there is no dignity, which is the most essential human right of all.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

An estimated 48 women are raped every hour in the DRC. Since the FCC's creation in 2007, it has funded more than 197 projects throughout the DRC. That is 4,875 women directly affected and 1 million beneficiaries indirectly affected. 

Inform yourself. Join a campaign. Take Action. Donate.  

Follow:
Julienne Lusenge Twitter
The FFC on Facebook and Twitter
SOFEPADI on Facebook and Twitter