An international voice for victims of rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Denis Mukwege has been awarded the 14th
annual Civil Courage Prize, an award which “ honors civil courage —
steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than
military valor”.
Dr.
Mukwege founded Panzi Hospital in Bukavu in 1998 to help women who had
developed medical conditions as a result of rape. The hospital was
originally a clinic that provided gynecological and obstetric care.
Since it opened, Dr. Mukwege and his colleagues have treated nearly 40,
000 women and girls who have survived brutal sexual attacks, often at
the hands of soldiers and armed rebels.
In
addition to the medical treatment, the hospital ensures that the women
recover mentally so it offers psychological and social services. It also
helps the women to reintegrate back into their communities and provides
legal help so that the women can file complaints against their
assailants.
“During
the past fifteen years, the bodies of women of Congo have become the
battlefield of the worst atrocities committed by armed groups. They have
been largely ignored by the rest of the world,” said Dr. Mukwege as he
accepted his award. “Meeting these women completely changed my life. My
profession as a medical doctor led me to become a direct witness to a
mass crime that is hard to fully understand because sexual violence
targets our most precious resource: our mothers, our wives and our
daughters. Violence against women knows no social or cultural barriers.”
Last
year, following a speech he gave at the United Nations for the need to
prosecute those who used rape as a weapon of war, Dr. Mukwege narrowly
escaped an assassination attempt. After living in exile for several
months, he returned home to the DRC in January of this year.
“It's
a joy for me to see women who have endured the most serious crimes
begin to heal and to smile again after receiving holistic care at Panzi
Hospital,” Dr Mukwege added. “There is hope. Everyday, we admire the
fierce determination and the courage of Congolese women, notably the
survivors of sexual violence in the eastern Congo. They are the ones
fuelling hope and inspiring my own determination to continue to work in
South Kivu.”
Dr. Mukwege is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
To read Dr. Mukwege’s complete speech:
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