Community perspectives on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Eastern DRC

Abstract: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is perhaps the country most affected by sexual violence in the world. It is estimated that tens of thousands of women in the region have been subjected to sexual violence. In addition to its unprecedented magnitude, SGBV in this region is unique in terms of the characteristics of victims and perpetrators. Whereas most of the victims of SGBV in the region are women, there is an emerging tendency of men being sexually abused in some parts of the region. Female victims of SGBV in the region are not limited to women of reproductive age but also include girls and old women. Moreover, although SGBV in Eastern DRC is largely militarized, there is evidence of increased civilian involvement, indicating that SGBV is becoming institutionalized. The cost of SGBV to the victims, their families and the community as a whole is enormous and includes medical, psychological and social challenges. An effective strategy to curtail the problem needs to target normative changes and build community capacity to address the situation. This paper will present data from a qualitative research to document community perspectives on the causes and consequences of SGBV, and perceptions about community capacity to address the problem. The implications of the findings for programming and policy will be discussed.