Depictions of Women and Minorities

 Democratic Republic of Congo

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa. It is often referred to as Congo-Kinshasa in order to differentiate it from the Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa and the second-largest in all of Africa. The DRC is one of the most heavily populated countries in Africa and also has some of the most diverse cultures and languages. The DRC has a population of 95.89 million citizens, with French being the official language. Kituba (Kikongo), Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba are the other four languages spoken in the DRC. The Democratic Republic of the Congo gained its independence from Belgium in 1960. Since they gained their independence, the country has experienced conflicts, civil wars, and political issues. The DRC flourishes with their natural resources like cobalt, copper, coltan, and copper, which have been the root of some of their issues and have had a serious impact on the country's development.

 

    According to Concern Worldwide US, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is ranked number four out of ten for countries that have the worst women's rights. The DRC was ranked 150 out of 162 in 2020 on the UN's Gender Inequality Index and 163 out of 170 on the 2021 Women, Peace, and Security Index. Unlike other countries, the DRC has been making progress slowly with its equality rights. Most of the inequality issues start at the legislative level. Women, Peace, and Security estimates that around 25% of the national laws have some sort of bias towards men, which affects countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now let's do some fact-checking. Approximately 51% of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are anticipated to face violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime, and 37% of women have reported this to be true in the last twelve months. 37% of Congolese women end up getting married before their 18th birthday. Out of every 1,000 girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 124 are expected to become mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. Historically, the DRC has been affected by armed conflict, political instability, and widespread violence, which have had severe consequences for women. Sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, has been a pervasive issue.    

@brandongonezshow There's a silent crisis going on in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that many are unaware about. #drc #humanitariancrisis #fyp #refugees #cobalt #congolaise🇨🇩 ♬ original sound - The Brandon Gonez Show

    UN Women states that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa's second-largest country. The population is made up of 51% women, and 48% of them are all below the age of 15. It is ranked as one of the poorest nations despite all of its natural resources and is ranked 186th out of 187 on the Human Development Index. 70% of the country's population falls below the poverty line. Next to poverty, crime and war are also large issues in the DRC. Years of armed conflict have resulted in the loss of more than two million lives, with the indication that one million women have experienced sexual violence. It seems as though not a soul in this country cares about their constitution and the laws that are stated in articles 5, 14, and 15 that promote equality and equity. Only 7.2% of women hold positions in the highest decision-making at the national level in the parliament and government. Up to 52% of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have experienced domestic violence, and 39% of Congolese women have reported threats or injuries. Additionally, 27% of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are subjected to harmful traditional practices. Early marriage is prevalent, as evidenced by reports from 2007 indicating that 39% of women in their early twenties were married or in union before reaching the age of 18. It is very limited for Congolese women to have the opportunity to have secure and quality jobs. Overall, women and girls face greater challenges in accessing education compared to men, which leads to higher rates of uneducated women and girls.

    Citizens of the DRC's geographical location play a large role in how they are treated, what kind of education they receive, and the healthcare that they have access to. In some cases, it is not just women who do not have access to a good education or proper healthcare. Some areas of the DRC are brutal for everyone, poverty-wise, but this does not mean that women are treated better in some areas than others.

 

    Overall, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has struggled with gender-based violence, discrimination, and limited access to education and healthcare for women. The armed conflict in the eastern part of the country has aggravated these challenges, leading to widespread sexual violence against women. Efforts have been made to address these issues, both domestically and through international initiatives. The DRC has laws that theoretically protect women's rights, and there have been some positive steps, such as the establishment of specialized courts to address sexual violence crimes. However, they are still having trouble as a whole getting every citizen in the country on board, and by every citizen, I am referring to the men stuck in their old traditional ways. International organizations and NGO's have been working to support women's rights in the DRC by providing assistance to survivors of violence, promoting education and healthcare, and advocating for policy changes. Considering all of the issues going on in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I am not so sure that women's rights are what people are worried about as much as poverty and civil wars. It is not impossible for this current situation to change, but it is going to take everyone. Since the Democratic Republic of the Congo is such a large country, it is going to take a large organization or a mass group of people in order to see change in this country.