Community responses to conflict in eastern DRC: Comparing men and women's perspectives

Background: Sexual violence is a complex and destructive feature of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is limited understanding of the impact of rape on families, communities and social structures, and very little data comparing how men and women think about these issues.

Design/Methods: Five men's groups and five women's groups were conducted in South Kivu, DRC.

Results/Outcomes : Both men and women recognized the enormous trauma associated with rape, and agreed it was becoming increasingly common in society. While men explained that their primary responsibility was to prevent the rape of women, women stated that they knew men could not always prevent rape. Instead, women felt men's greatest responsibility was to help survivors seek services after the attack. Men described how their own feelings of shame and powerlessness after the rape of a woman will play a role in the ways she is treated. Even if a woman is not rejected, male relatives' feelings of inadequacy can make survivors vulnerable to abuse within the home.

Conclusions: Male and female participants noted that rape is becoming increasingly commonplace in civilian society as a result of the war. Stigmatization and rejection of rape survivors remains a significant problem. Men are important agents in how women are treated in their families and communities after rape. However, men and women have different perspectives on the role of family members after rape. More work must be done to include men in programming to help survivors of violence.