Fida launched a programme to support teenage victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The partner is a health organisation led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege.
19 June is the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. A recent UN report shows that the number of confirmed cases of sexual violence has increased by 50 % worldwide in the last year.
This is a global problem, which has also become visible to Finns with the violence in the war in Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine is undoubtedly terrible, but we cannot forget the rest of the world.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence is an enormously widespread phenomenon as a result of a prolonged, forgotten conflict. For example, in one refugee camp alone, nearly 50 victims of sexual violence were treated every day in the early part of 2023.
Support for teenagers who have been raped
This spring, Fida launched a support programme for raped teenage girls in Congo. This work is carried out in partnership with the health department, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege. Mukwege is a well-known Congolese gynaecologist and advocate for survivors of sexual violence, who founded the Panzi hospital, which helps rape victims, among other things. Mukwege heads the health organisation of Fida’s partner church, the Pentecostal CEPAC Church, which, among other things, does preventive work in villages in eastern Congo and also works with government hospitals.
Katja Köykkä, who recently returned from Baraka and Kalemie in eastern Congo, sees in her work what rape does to a young girl.
– In conflict zones, no girl is safe from rape. I hear from locals how common it is to be raped. We talk a lot about not normalising sexual violence, but always condemning it. The situation is unbearable: the youngest victims of rape are babies,” says Köykkä, resident of Finnish Muurame town who works as an adviser to Fida in Congo.
He is one of the few Finns who work and travel in the region.
“The number of victims has increased alarmingly over the past year”
In Congo, the number of rape victims is getting younger and younger. Köykkä has been building a care pathway and support group for young girls who have been raped, are pregnant or have already given birth to a child born of rape.
– In one village alone, hundreds of pregnancies have been reported as a result of underage rape. This figure is grossly underestimated, as most cases go unreported.
Victims of sexual violence are often left without any support. Young people in particular lack a safety net, which exposes them to further violence. – The need for support groups is huge, as there would be almost two hundred victims in one area alone. Doctors and nurses tell us that the number of victims of sexual violence has increased alarmingly over the past year, says Köykkä.
More than just painkillers
In addition to physical treatment, victims of sexual violence need psychosocial support. Medical training in Congo takes six years, but the psychological and social side of the treatment of victims is still completely lacking. Fida is working to change this.
This spring, Katja Köykkä also started training the staff of the police hospital in the Kalemie region.
– Until now, rape victims have received only basic care: stitches and painkillers. This was the first time that doctors in the area received training on how to treat victims of violence. There are no mental health services in the area,” says Köykkä.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling with a huge humanitarian crisis. There are already around 7 million internally displaced people. Year after year, the forgotten crisis is overshadowed by other crises in the media.
Fida has been working in the DRC since 2008 as one of the few Finnish organisations. Its partner is the Congolese CEPAC Church. The work is part of the Finnish government’s development cooperation. Fida focuses on the prevention of violence against women and children.
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