DRC: 16 days of activism to fight against sexual violence in South Kivu
By John Zyombo – With a week to commemorate the international day of struggle against HIV / AIDS, province of South Kivu in eastern DRC is mobilized in the fight against sexual violence.
The 16 Days of Activism began November 25 until December 10, 2010, with a peaceful march organized by the provincial division of the gender, family and children in collaboration with UNICEF and other NGOs internationals organizations in the fight against violence to women and children. This campaign aims at fighting against violence committed to women and children and to double their efforts to address it further.
According to the provincial division chief of the gender, Ms. Jacqueline NGENGELE “the repeated wars in the DRC since 1996 have generated a multitude of violence against women and children, killing or maiming of children, recruiting or using children in the armed forces, child rape and other acts of sexual violence on children and women. “
Assih EKAMBO administrator UNICEF protection in South Kivu said in 2010, 3135 cases of victims of sexual abuse of 927 children were registered by the General Reference Hospital Panzi excluding the results of others structures medicals. This provides sufficient evidence that the Congolese government has a long journey in the fight against violence against women particularly in the eastern part of the country.
It closes on December 10 International Day of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
