By Ashley Gilmore
WASHINGTON— The United States is making large cuts in funding and programming to reduce gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is a major blow because it’s the single biggest government donor, Marcy Hersh of Refugees International Wednesday said.
Refugees International, which promotes protection of people displaced by conflict or disaster, released a report on the state of gender-based violence programs in the DRC at an event hosted by the Women’s Foreign Policy Group.
In 2009, then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the DRC to address sexual violence. Afterwards, the United States Agency for International Development donated $47.5 million in four major contracts for programming encompassing all forms of gender-based violence.
Since 2002, USAID has awarded the DRC over $71 million in funding and programming that provides medical care, psychological and social support, legal aid and judicial support and socio-economic reintegration. Because of gender-based violence programming, over 24,000 survivors were able to access medical care in the last five years, over 40,000 women were able to access counseling and 1,500 Congolese doctors were clinically trained to deal with gender-based violence injuries.
Known as “the rape capital of the world” and “ the worst place to be born a woman,” the DRC has received a lot of attention for sexual and gender- based violence during the country’s civil war.
But gender-based violence is not only a conflict-related problem, Hersh noted.
Dr. Denis Mukwege, a Congolese physician who founded the Panzi Hospital in South Kivu, said something similar in 2003.
”The roots of wartime rape lie in gender inequalities, “Mukwege told an audience at the Brookings Institution. “Conflict amplifies these pre-existing inequalities.”
Hersh, the U.N. representative and senior advocate for women and girls’ rights at Refugees International, said gender-based violence integration programs will replace stand-alone programs due to the reduced funding. Stand-alone programs are run by experts and trained officials and create accurate data on individuals affected by gender-based violence. Integrated programming incorporates gender-based ideas into other programs, such as education. In this kind of programming it is rare to have experts and it is difficult to monitor results.
“I don’ think these can be switched out one-for-one,” says Hersh.
Refugees International wants the U.S. and other governments to restore funding and advocates more prevention programs.
Hersh also suggested the Congolese government should do more — like rebuilding hospitals, setting up clinics and strengthening the judicial sector to help victims of gender-based violence.
Refugees International’s recommendations to help individuals affected by gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
