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"Women in Congo are raped by your phone battery"

2020-04-02T02:18:43.849Z


Masika has been coordinating the largest support network for victims of sexual violence in her country for three decades as a consequence of the open war for the control of mineral resources


Justine Masika (Mutembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1965) took 21 years to learn about the true situation of women in her country, where more than 40 are raped a day. The same time it took to start working in support of rural women, after graduating in community development. "I was shocked , since then I have not separated from them."

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Masika only had to visit her province, Kivu, to connect with the invisible reality of women in her country. “In my family I have never seen machismo. In fact, I was spoiled. " However, the peasant women were "trapped" by violence dictated by the customs of their communities. “They had the aggressions so naturalized that they were not even aware of them. They accepted that their husbands beat them, that they controlled their money, that they did not participate in local governments. ”

In that first year, her organization detected a common trauma in these women: the vast majority had suffered sexual assault. So they decided to carry out a complete diagnosis on this topic throughout the region. "With the discretion and support of Swiss cooperation, we expand the work."

For a year, Masika toured around fifty communities, all of them isolated from each other and with such difficult accesses, forced her to spend days walking the roads. "Later he slept in their houses, on banana leaves, and ate his own soup of boiled water with a potato for the whole family." Thus he earned his confidences.

By your own neighbors

“Many of these women were raped on the way to the fields by the men of their own community, their neighbors. If they told it, their husbands abandoned them and their families repudiated them for dishonor. So they all kept quiet and went on with their lives, how could they. ”

After the diagnosis, he brought together the 35 organizations that worked in the area to coordinate their response. "I was once again in shock at the number of rapes that were taking place every day in rural areas." Her diagnosis concluded that she had to coordinate work in support of these women: medical care had to be linked to psychosocial and support in the field, together with achieving real economic independence from their husbands so that they could leave their homes, if it were necessary".

It took him a year to weave the network of organizations. It took time and patience again to gain the trust of all of them. And the war for control of minerals exploded. "The organizations had set up shelters for women victims of violence who, at last, were taking the step to leave their communities to recover. The armed groups confiscated them. And what is worse, they also began to rape women" .

It was his turn, to sit down to dialogue so as not to abandon the women: this time, on the other side of the table were the army of his country, the guerrillas and the government. Even today he continues to meet with all of them. "With all those who love," he clarifies.

His country is the main producer of coltan in the world, a mixture of columbite and tantalite that is essential to manufacture mobile phones, computers, tablets and even electric vehicles. Control of these mines has led to the emergence of armed groups dedicated to the illegal exploitation of minerals.

Even so, Masika regained control of 12 of the 35 houses that the network kept open in the Kivu region. They have already accompanied more than 18,000 women and girls who are victims of sexual assault. A work based on listening that also made her the target of threats both from the leaders of the peasant communities in which she denounced the macho customs, and from the armed groups that she brought to court for the use of rape as a weapon. of war. “One day, a group of men entered my house and kidnapped my family. They were looking for me. After 45 minutes they were gone. ” He has not returned to that house. Eight years ago from this incident.

Many of these women were raped on the way to the fields by the men of their own community, their neighbors. If they told it, their husbands abandoned them

Throughout 2012 he had to go into exile in Belgium to get to safety. He took the opportunity to incorporate international institutions in his talks and thus also internationalize support for women victims of sexual violence in his country. "Europe must join the fight against rape."

Justine recently visited Bilbao. He presents the campaign of the NGO Alboan Mujeres en Marcha with which he will receive support from the entity for his activities in the shelters. It has a unique message for the audience: there is a direct relationship between the war for control of the coltan mines and the systematic violence against women in their country. "Recycle, extend the life of your phones to the maximum! You are not the culprits but you can be an active part of the solution." "Congolese women are raped to control illegal coltan mines. And with that mineral, they then make your mobile phones. Recycle. Consume with discretion. They are killing us for them."

His words generate an awkward silence during the presentation. Next year a European directive will require the traceability of all the minerals used to manufacture technology. "However, the order does not carry financial penalties for those who use illegal minerals." Trust that everything will come. In his agenda, there are already marked different international summits to which he will go to demand economic sanctions from companies that do not comply with the directive.

Meanwhile, Masika continues to walk through the Kivu communities. And it will continue to listen to the victims and will continue to converse with the victimizers, whatever it takes to save new suffering. “When I see a young woman who goes from wanting to commit suicide to wanting to live, I think it was all worth it. And this happens in our foster homes. Join this fight also from Europe with your responsible consumption ”, closes the interview carried out in soft and friendly French, how their ways of working have been for the last three decades and how they will continue to be, firmly, until they restore dignity to all the women of his country.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2020-04-02

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