The 1990s were turbulent times for much of the African continent. Genocides, wars and armed conflicts swept across Africa, making for some of the darkest pages of history. Heinous crimes against humanity were committed: ethnic cleansing, tortures, mass rapes. However, there are unsung heroes who risk their lives on a daily basis to bring relief to the most vulnerable. And that is what Dr. Denis Mukwege does. He is a Congolese gynecologist specializing in treating victims of sexual violence.

Turning pain into power

Armed power struggles have long been the order of the day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as the Republic of Zaire from 1971 to 1997. The First Congo War took place between 1996 and 1997, after which the country got its current name. But peace did not last long: between 1998 and 2003, the country saw the Second Congo War, a conflict that, according to investigations, claimed four million lives. Most people died of starvation and preventable and curable diseases, but one of the most terrible practices in this bloody altercation was the use of rape as a weapon of war. Women were tortured and committed to sexual slavery. 

During the conflict, Dr. Denis Mukwege and his team transformed a small house in the Panzi Region into a clinic. "Our first patient was a woman whose genitals had been shot at from a firearm. At first we first thought it was an isolated act of violence on behalf of a lone rebel, but the number of sexual violence victims coming to the Panzi Hospital kept growing. We were faced with unprecedented trauma and required surgical skills that were not even taught in the medical field,” Denis remembers.

Thousands of women in vulnerable situations desperately sought Dr. Mukwege’s help. They had been victims of gang rapes and genital mutilation, suffered from vaginal fistula and contracted STIs, including AIDS. Dr. Mukwege performed up to ten surgeries daily, working 18-hour days. The clinic, originally intended as a safe haven for pregnant women, was redirected to treat victims of extreme sexual violence. Soon after social workers also joined the effort, providing psychological support as a complementary service to medical care for women.

Upon their release from the Panzi Hospital, the patients faced another challenge: social stigma. In African countries, many victims of sexual violence are rejected by families and friends and ostracized. In view of this, the organization created a recovery house: Maison Dorcas, or City of Joy, where women continue receiving psychological support and guidance to aid them on their path to autonomy. They attend workshops where they learn different trades, study computers, the English language and receive music and dance therapy. "We teach them how to turn their pain into power and become leaders in their communities," says Denis. In addition, the organization created a program called A Roof for Survivors, helping women to start building their own homes and breaking with their traditional dependency. 

The war has ended, but sexual violence still plagues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many women, including girls aged six months to 11 years, have been hospitalized at Panzi Hospital with severe wounds. The perpetrators, however, are rarely found. "The lack of rule of law makes matters worse. The survivors may heal physically, psychologically and recover economically, but they cannot obtain justice and reparation for the atrocities they have endured, and the perpetrators of the crimes go free," Dr. Mukwege explains. To help stop this cycle of violence, the Panzi Foundation offers legal support to bring the criminals before a court of law.

Only doctors are allowed to give medicine

Dr. Denis Mukwege decided to become a doctor when he accompanied his father, a Pentecostal minister, to visit and pray for a sick child. One day he asked his father why he did not give the child medicine, and his father replied that he could not prescribe medicine – only doctors were allowed to do so. That answer shaped Denis's choice of vocation: he was going to be a doctor to complement his father's prayers. Once he became a doctor he saw many women die in childbirth – a key factor in his decision to specialize in maternal care.  

He worked at Lemera Hospital until it was destroyed in 1996, then opened a clinic in Bukavu to provide assistance to pregnant women. Due to a state of emergency and the absence of resources, he built makeshift medical care units. When the Second Congo War broke out shortly after, the tents were destroyed. In 1999, Dr. Muwege and his team moved to Panzi, turning a new page in their story. 

The quest for gender equality

Over the last decade Denis Mukwege has been threatened numerous times, from receiving anonymous death threats to an actual assassination attempt. In the midst of conflict in 2012, he and his family were held at gunpoint in their own home. His friend and bodyguard was shot. "The risks remain high, especially where my own security and the security of the medical staff at Panzi Hospital and Maison Dorcas is concerned. Members of our staff have been abducted, beaten, raped and even killed," says Denis. But it takes more than that to scare him: over the course of his work, he has treated and empowered over 30,000 victims of sexual violence. 

Apart from working at the hospital, Denis teaches at the African Evangelical University, where he is the dean of the Faculty of Medicine. He also holds classes at Maison Dorcas, where day after day he helps thousands of women to rebuild their lives. 

Sexual violence is not confined to the African continent. According to the UN, 35 percent of women around the world have suffered physical and/or sexual abuse. Some 120 million girls around the world (at least one of every ten) have been subjected to forced sexual intercourse at some point in their lives, while an estimated 200 million girls and women have undergone some form of female genital mutilation in 30 countries. 

The civilian population could be the driving force behind addressing gender inequality issues the world over. "We cannot stand idly by while women are being destroyed anywhere in the world," says Denis, once again expressing his conviction and commitment to women’s rights. "To eradicate abuse and violence, we need to ensure that all communities understand and agree upon the equal rights of boys and girls, as well as men and women. We need to eradicate the belief that males are superior to females – that needs to be stressed from childhood. Only then we will create a better society where there are fewer abusive practices against women and mutual respect," he says.