The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in west-central Africa (“Congo, Democratic Republic of the”). It has a transitional government and a 2014 population estimate of 77,433,744 (“Congo, Democratic Republic of the”).
The Congo has been a place of conflict and violence for a long time, dating back to when it was first taken over by King Leopold in the 1800s. Under his control, this area was a slave colony and the citizens were treated inhumanely. In present day, conditions remain tragic. Conflict and war in the Congo have caused years of turmoil, which have contributed to a rise in gender based violence. Statistics show incidents of both violence and rape occurring in the Congo are widespread and rampant. Not helping matters is the lack of media coverage on what’s going on there. There are groups working to improve conditions in the Congo, yet there is still much work to be done to solve the problem of gender based violence that occurs there.
“Congo, Democratic Republic of the.” Infoplease. Infoplease, 1 May 2014. Web. 5 May 2015.
Referenced the contributions by Sheena B, Ben L, and Dallas S.
~ Contributed by Meghan P
Gender Based Violence In Congo 