I do some
volunteer translating for a website called World Pulse, which acts as a forum
for women worldwide to publish essays and journal entries. I mainly work with
posts by women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and they are varied - some
are detailing ways they wish to improve the local economy, some are about
domestic and family issues and some are frustrations toward their own
government and customs. While I could act like I am an extremely virtuous human
being and say I read and translate these articles every day, the reality is
that I translate these articles for a few hours every month and then more or
less forget about it until I receive the next batch. As is often the case with
problems in "other" countries, I can read about it and feel the pain
of those affected, but I have the ability to get away from these problems. I
will finish reading and then go back to my secure, comfortable and
freedom-infested life in Melbourne. Some personal accounts, though, manage to
push me out of this happy bubble, if only temporarily.
This is the
translated personal essay of Mauwa Brigette, a frequent contributor to World
Pulse and extremely opinionated on why women of the DRC are struggling to have
access to education, healthcare and protection against violence.
If anyone speaks
French and English I would love advice or feedback on the translation - the
French version is
here: https://www.worldpulse.com/en/community/users/mauwa-brigitte/posts/36800
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| Photo from the World Pulse website, from blog post by Kika Slyvie Katchunga. Photo is from her blog post here https://www.worldpulse.com/en/community/users/kika-sylvie-katchunga/posts/36801 |
WOMEN’S HEALTH AND
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
In a community of
around 50 villages, there is no health centre where women can receive adequate
healthcare. There is no place for women to access contraception or to monitor
their child’s health and development, and long-term poverty restricts any
ability to have a regular, healthy diet.
What now is
happening is that experienced mothers will misguide first-time mothers into
delaying their long journey to the hospital, under the impression that it takes
longer than expected for the pregnancy to be at full term. This delay is what
causes damage; there are cases where the mother dies with her newborn on the
way to the hospital.
Women are subject
to heavy manual labour with limited breaks. To not have health centres in a
community of 50 villages and limited access to appropriate healthcare for women
and children creates catastrophe. Few women are educated on matters of
reproduction - since childhood they have wondered how one comes to be born. In
their minds, the ideal is the words of God: “be fruitful and multiply”. This
makes birth mortality rates even higher.
Lack of
information is killing the nation, lack of access to development and education
for women and girls causes further problems in multiple homes and communities.
All a man has seen
in his childhood is his mother obeying the rules of his father. Therefore, it
is completely against custom for women to voice their opinion to their husbands
or even to raise their voice.
Within this
oppression, women cannot break down their own enforced internal barriers. It
will take generations of women's education to realise the right to freedom of
expression.
A man will
typically see a woman’s role in life as cleaning the home, and ensuring the
education of his children. Furthermore, daughters should care for her younger
siblings while her mother works in the fields and tends to her husband. Men
will not value the concept of an educated woman or girl as vital to a country
or community's development. That being said, the well-educated female has the
ability to change future customs when she shares her knowledge with women
everywhere – her own village and others.
In regards to
gender-based violence, I will discuss the case of my mother. My mother was
married young into a family exemplary for their traditional values. It was the
time of Tshombe, and my father worked at the post office in Élisabethville, now
Lubumbashi/Katanga. He had done time in Kasapa prison beforehand, after having
already been in prison before. This exposed my mother to serious domestic
violence, and left her marriage devoid of peace and happiness.
Things became so
unbearable that my father left to spend the rest of his life in his town of
birth. People there already knew about the divorce, and had heard rumours about
my father having fetishes. My father’s older brother and grandfather suspected
my mother of spreading such stories, and travelled to her house in the middle
of the night with the intention of burning it down with her inside. Fortunately
she heard the noise and escaped before her house went up in flames. My father’s
brother had never liked my mother – this was his chance for revenge.
My brothers have
seen my father married to a succession of women after my mother. Another child
has even died through this. After my parents separated, my mother moved to
Kalemi, a town in Katanga to restart her life. My mother who I love, risked
death and left my father forever so that I may live a life without violence.
She is patient around the children who are abused by enemies. She is my brave
mother, who never fears challenge or lacks courage. Thank you, my hero.
A few years later,
my father moved to Kinshasa, while I was studying there with my brothers. I was
enrolled in a science degree, specialising in Biology and Chemistry. My
stepmother made life for me difficult during this time, so that I would be
deterred from studying further. Despite this, I went on to study I.T Management
in Kinshasa. In the South-Kivu province, I shared what I knew about digital
technology with the other women, especially those who were vulnerable.
In the DRC, the
acronym, “VOVOLIB” means “Without Voice, Without Freedom”. In light of the
hardships I’ve been through, I've become interested in human rights – I can now
see that I have rights, my mother has rights and they were violated. I am now a
human rights activist, and I am especially interested in the rights of women
who don’t have the means to be heard in our world. I also study cases of sexual
and gender-based violence as well as logistics and project development.
Right now, I am
developing my skills in the Mama Shujaa centre as an I.T instructor, where I
show my computer skills to women and girls so that they may advocate for their
rights without male intervention. I am also a daughter and ambassador for peace
and volunteer of World Pulse.
Empowerment of
women starts with helping to end illiteracy - it is a matter of addressing
basic needs. Every opportunity needs to be taken to share knowledge with others
in the local community. When there is a chance for gender equality, it must be
seized – women can work as freely as men do when the silence is ruptured. A
woman must understand the role she plays in her community or nation, so she can
take ownership for the burden she carries and continue to work hard.
Responsibility represents a huge success for all women.
List of solutions:
- Create more health centres within our community of 50 villages
- Assure basic health care needs for women and girls
- Population control and security
- Awareness of different healthcare needs for community development.
- Access to clean drinking water in each village sector.
- Criminals punished according to law.
- Respect for the environment.
For more
information on World Pulse: https://www.worldpulse.com/en
