In the fertile hills of eastern Congo (DRC), the region's women tell tales of war crimes more cruel than others can imagine. They are angry with brutal rebels groups, Rwandans, the national army, mineral companies and the United Nations.

Most of the women bear personal account on rapes, kidnappings and fistula as a result of guns being shoved up their wombs. These rural women offer graphic details on what they went through. Many report being kidnapped and used as prostitutes for the rebels over many months. Only to be thrown back into society when they suffer fistula as a result of childbirth. Last year in North Kivu alone there were 30,000 reported rapes. The actual number is thought to be six times that.  

A church wrote recently that “like the fabric that these women adorn, everyday is the kind of rape they have been subjected to. There is gang rape, incestuous rape, HIV/AIDS infected rape, reproductive organ destructive rape and death rape. All these women have suffered so much and their lives are a contradiction to the bright clothes, matching bags and colourful scarves they wear.”  

The women, however, all agree that enough is enough. They ask that their stories be heard and ask that they be left to till their fertile land, run their projects, sing their songs, worship and just enjoy peace as they reconstruct their society. Their specific plea is for those who were raped and violated to receive trauma and counselling.



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