SOLIDARITY WITH WOMEN OF DR CONGO

1,000 Women from the African Great Lakes region to take part in the World March of Women Global action and join the Big March for Peace in Bukavu, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo on 17^th October

A delegation of women from the UK will be attending the march, including the Bradford Vice Chair of Rape Crisis (England & Wales), Congolese activists of Common Cause UK, the Vice President of Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom and the founder of Million Women Rise.

Meanwhile in the UK, please show your support by joining

The Million Women Rise Vigil

12 noon – 2pm

Saturday 16^th October

Trafalgar Square (in front of National Gallery), London

Why a peace march for the people of eastern DR Congo?

The eastern part of DR Congo has been labelled the rape capital of the world, with an estimated 250,000 cases of reported rapes and up to one million unreported cases. In addition, up to two thirds of girls and women between the ages of 10 and 30 have been raped since 1996, human rights organisations estimate.

Wars over DR Congo’s invaluable natural resources are ravaging the east of the country, where an estimated 5.4 million people have been killed since 1996 (IRC, Crisis Watch). Armed groups from inside DR Congo and from neighbouring countries are fighting to control land rich in natural resources such as diamonds, gold, copper, uranium, tin, tungsten and coltan from which tantalum is derived.

The ‘3T’s’ (tin, tungsten and tantalum) are found in everything on the British high street - from mobile phones, laptop computers, and iPods to light bulbs. About 80% of the tantalum used in mobile phones comes from DR Congo. These minerals are also traded every day on the London Metals Exchange.

We don’t want our light bulbs, laptops, mobile phones and iPhones to fund the rape of women in DR Congo, to be the cause of human right abuses and to be forcing people to flee their homes and become refugees.

We stand in solidarity with The Centre for Conflict Resolution and the people of Bradford who are holding a vigil for the same purpose at the same time to draw attention to the plight of the women of DR Congo. Opposite Centenary Square Bradford, 12noon – 1pm.

For more information on these events please contact Fatina Liza on +44 (0)7588 340 612 or fatinaliza@gmail.com

Sabrina Qureshi is the founder of Million Women Rise www.millionwomenrise.com

WILPF is an international NGO, and launched the African Women’s Decade 2010-2020 www.ukwilpf.org.uk/

Ben and Kongosi Mussanzi are Congolese activists who had to flee DRC because of their human rights work including speaking out about the rape of women. They are the founders of the Centre Resolution Conflicts in Dr Congo and Bradford. www.cr-conflict.org

Jane Gregory is a Co-ordinator of Bradford Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Survivors Service and Vice Chair of Rape Crisis (England & Wales). http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/

The World March of Women is an international feminist action movement connecting grass-roots groups and organisations working to eliminate the root causes of poverty and violence against women. http://www.marchemondiale.org/