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... and the breadth of the impact on women may be different, as it largely depends on the women themselves, as well as on the regional social, economic, and political milieu. The extent of the impact also depends on the location, the nature, and the duration of the each separate conflict that occurs during the civil war. Social and Psychological Impacts on Women Physical Insecurity Congolese women suffer from physical insecurity. The women live in constant terror, and often feel trapped in their own homes. Women often experience the threat of sexual abuse and violence, and this feeling of insecurity restricts Congolese womens social and economic activity, and prevents them from moving out freely and safely (Brittain 14).
Women are often afraid to go out from their homes to the places of work, or to go out to collect firewood for cooking, as they consider there is no order and there is no law. In addition, the presence of demobilized soldiers doesnt make women feel safer, as the soldiers and unemployed militia also pose a threat to Congolese women's lives and property. The soldiers also violate women's rights, and abuse women. There is also an increased crime rate, and increase in delinquency. The young men often form gangs and pose a threat to the security of women and their children.
Women, who work late in the evening are at the highest risk, as they are at risk from death squads, civil action patrols, and sometimes, from armed guerillas. The families are afraid to send the daughters to the schools, as they fear for the girls's avery (I Saw Rebels Eat My 2 Girls; Mother's War Hell). In addition, there is a continued high level of interpersonal violence. Psychosocial Trauma Forced migration, separation from the loved ones and family members, sexual abuse, poverty and starvation, cruelty and extreme violence, - all these aspects cause psychosocial traumas. Congolese women live in constant terror and fear and experience high levels of anxiety and stress in their daily lives. The Congolese women have all symptoms of psychosocial traumas, such as anguish, listlessness, recurrent recollections of traumatic incidents, and depression.
Women have feeling of psychical and psychological insecurity, threats of violence, and all this, obviously, affects their perceptions and behaviors. Congolese women have severe emotional wounds, as they often exposed to the brutalities of the war in the Congo. Sexual Abuse and Exploitation The problem of sexual abuse and exploitation is also closely related to psychosocial trauma. There are a lot of evidence that Congolese women are often raped by the soldiers and rebels.
Congolese women often humiliated and terrorized. They are forced to have sex with the members of the troops as payment for victory (Kumar 11). Congolese women are often raped in the presence of their parents, spouses, and family members. Many of them are impregnated through rape, and are raising children fathered by those soldiers or rebels, who killed Congolese women's spouses or family members. Family Roles and Responsibilities The civil war in the Congo dramatically affects families, and increases Congolese womens household burdens. The number of households held by single Congolese women is consistently increasing, as their males are often imprisoned, disabled, dead, or away fighting in the troops.
Women have to assume traditionally masculine roles, and have to raise and discipline male children, build and repair houses, deal with government officials and community leaders, and fulfill social obligations instead of men. Moreover, Congolese women have to feed and support their families and children alone. The increased number of separated children and orphans also add to Congolese womens burdens, as women feel pity on these children and often shoulder the most of the responsibilities, taking care of these orphaned Congolese children. Domestic Violence The civil war in the Congo is also conductive to the increased domestic violence. The war generates a subculture of violence, as people begin to treat violence and violent behavior as normal (Kumar 14) The domestic abuse of women also occurs, as men are traumatized by the war, and the family tensions become heightened. The increased rates of alcohol consumption, declined womens status in the family also make women more vulnerable and susceptible to maltreatment by their male spouses.
In addition, as women become more independent when their husbands are absent, when the spouses come back from the war, they often resort to violence in order to assert their authority. Economic Impacts on Women Woman-Headed Households The civil war in the Congo is conductive to an increase in woman-headed households. The reasons for such change are quite obvious, as more males than females are killed in the war, and their increased death rates result in demographic imbalances. Some Congolese women become widows, while some of them fail to find a suitable husband. The prolonged absence of males, the increased rates of breakdowns in the families, large-scale movements of population, the increased rates of divorces and permanent separation also forces women to become the heads of their households. Poverty and Its Consequences The civil war in the Congo also leads to the drastic increase in poverty and to severe food shortages in the vast majority of Congo areas.
The researchers make an assumption that that the number of women living in poverty increased disproportionately compared with the number of men living in poverty, but reliable data are not available. (Kumar 17) Congolese women suffer from poverty and starvation more than the male population, because traditionally men control most of the assets, the household allocation of food, and resources. The Congolese women dependent on food subsidies and social services suffer the most, as the government often reallocated the resources toward the army during the war. As this takes place, the lives of the poor Congolese women become even more unbearable and worsen significantly. Labor Force Participation The increased number of the Congolese households headed by women, as well as desperate economic conditions in the country because of military operations and long-term devastating civil conflicts force more Congolese women to enter labor markets. The civil war in the Congo destroyed traditional social and political order in the country and force women to assume new economic roles and responsibilities. Congolese women's participation in agriculture, plants and factories also increased.
The women have to perform tasks that had been traditionally done only by the male population. However, due to the military operations the situation has changed drastically, affecting Congolese women's daily lives. Political Impacts on Women Surprisingly, but many Congolese women became more active at the community level. Women tend to organize informal and formal local groups aimed to provide relief to vulnerable populations.
Some Congolese women manage voluntary health services and daycare facilities, take part in the distribution of food aid, and become more engaged in churches, hospitals, schools, offering their volunteer services. Some women support war efforts by raising funds, organizing marches and public meetings, and mobilizing public opinion for the civil war in the Congo in the name of ethnicity, ideology, and nationalism (Mikell 61). Some Congolese women join troops and play supporting roles in the military operations (especially in intelligence and health operations). Some of them reject military participation and found organizations to end the civil war, becoming quite powerful and influential voices in the peace processes and grassroots advocacy organizations. Conclusion In conclusion it may be said that the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo dramatically affects women, however, there are both positive and negative impacts on Congolese women as well as the the ways in which women are affected and respond to these conflicts.
The war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo impacts women's social, economic, and political roles and responsibilities, forcing women to address the challenges and problems women in the Congo come across with. The war in the Congo inflicts violence on civilian population of the Congo and on women in particular, leads to sexual abuse and exploitation, psychosocial traumas, increased levels of poverty, and domestic violence. At the same time, the war leads to the increased number of the Congolese households headed by women and forces women to take more active part in the social and political live of their country. Works Cited Brittain, Victoria. "A Nation That Hates Its Women. " New Statesman 24 June 2002: 14 +. Questia. 2 Apr. 2008 < web >. Eaton, David. "Diagnosing the Crisis in the Republic of Congo. " Africa 76. 1 (2006): 44 +.
Questia. 2 Apr. 2008 < web >. "ISAW REBELS EAT MY 2 GIRLS; Mother's War Hell. " Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) 18 Mar. 2005: 28. Questia. 2 Apr. 2008 < web >. Kumar, Krishna, ed. Women and Civil War: Impact, Organizations, and Action. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2001.
Questia. 2 Apr. 2008 < web >. Mikell, Gwendolyn. "Women Mobilizing for Peace: African-American Responses to African Crises. " International Journal on World Peace 17. 1 (2000): 61. Questia. 2 Apr. 2008 < web >. Weiss, Herbert F. , and Tatiana Carayannis. "Reconstructing the Congo. " Journal of International Affairs 58. 1 (2004): 115 +. Questia. 2 Apr. 2008 < web >. Brittain, Victoria. "A Nation That Hates Its Women. " New Statesman 131. 4593 (2002): 14 +.
The author of the article discusses a hidden war that is going on against Congolese women and girls. The article dwells on the cases of rape, abduction, sexual slavery, tortures and death that have become an everyday reality for the Congolese women. The article played an important role for the paper, as it provides an indepth research on social and psychological aspects of the impact of Congolese war on women. Eaton, David. "Diagnosing the Crisis in the Republic of Congo. " Africa 76. 1 (2006): 44 +.
The author of the article dwells on the crises and changes in the Republic of Congo, explores the conflicts that sparked devastating civil wars, and disorientation which accompanied the advent of liberal ideals and institutions in the Congo. David Eaton explores the history of the Congolese wars, the colonial legacy and the socialist era, and the coming of democracy. The article was helpful, as it allowed to examine the history of the Congo more thoroughly. "I Saw Rebels Eat My 2 Girls; Mother's War Hell. " Daily Record 18 March 2005: 28. This newspaper article provides an emotional experience of a Congolese mother telling a horror story about cannibalism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The author of the article dwells on women and children suffering in Congo. The article was useful for the study, as it adds an evidence to the cases of sexual abuse, and violence that has become an ordinary thing for the Congolese women.
Kumar, Krishna. Women and Civil War: Impact, Organizations, and Action. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2001. The book written by Krishna Kumar played the most important role in the present study, as it allowed to explore the phenomenon of women and civil war and to understand the impact the civil war makes on women.
The author presents a thorough examination of the brutalities of the war, and dwells on social, political, and economic impacts on women. Although the book it not dedicated to the Congolese war, it makes possible to apply the concept to the conditions of war-torn societies, such as the Congo. Mikell, Gwendolyn. "Women Mobilizing for Peace: African-American Responses to African Crises. " International Journal on World Peace 17. 1 (2000): 61. Gwendolyn Mikell dwells on the role played by the Congolese women in alliances for peace. The article examines African-American responses to African crises, and explores the activity of the networks dealing with peace building and social reconstruction in the future. The article brought an additional insight into the political aspects of the war on Congolese women.
Weiss, Herbert F. and Tatiana Carayannis. "Reconstructing the Congo. " Journal of International Affairs 58. 1 (2004): 115 +. Herbert F. Weiss and Tatiana Carayannis examine the Congo as the battleground for wars and wars within wars. The article examines state-building efforts and the refraining of Congolese nationalism from independence, and provides an analysis of the three Congolese wars, which started in 1996 and are, to a certain degree, still going on today. The journal article was very useful, as it allowed to draw some conclusions about the Congolese women and state and the implications for future post-war reconstruction.
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