WOMEN of the CONGO

What started as a discussion among five friends has grown into a mini-movement, centering around a fund-raising event to bring first-hand knowledge of the situation to our friends, families, and colleagues. Funding for efforts to aid the remains disproportionate to the enormity of need. Our “Women of the Congo” event on June 12^th, 2008 raised money for a worthy project currently underway.

The City of Joy, near Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, a safe house for survivors of sexual violence who cannot return to their families and communities. Located at the epicenter of Congo ’s rape epidemic, this joint effort between V-Day (the global movement to stop violence against women and girls) and UNICEF will focus on healing trauma, building self-esteem and empowering and educating the victims.  The City of Joy is a pilot program, which could lead to the establishment of similar safe houses in other war-torn areas of DRC.

Get Educated.  Find out about the history of the war, the rape crisis and the current state of the country.  Read some headlines

Spread the word. Anyone with passion and initiative can support a cause and make a difference.  Talk to your friends and family about why this crisis moves you.

Join us on 0ctober 20, 2009 at our WOMEN OF THE CONGO BENEFIT event to be held at W New York

Watch a Film. The award-winning documentary film The Greatest Silence:Rape in the Congo directed by Lisa F. Jackson, has been used by nongovernmental organizations internationally and locally as a tool to advocate on the problem of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).