The conflict-stricken countries of central Africa have some of the highest rates of sexual and gender- based violence (SGBV) in the world.
Rape is widely used as a weapon of war, to terrorise, subdue and demoralise communities. Displaced women and girls risk sexual attack and exploitation at every stage of their journey: during conflict, during flight and in their place of refuge.
As the lead agency for protection in the DRC, UNHCR works to prevent SGBV and respond to the needs of survivors. UNHCR funds Maisons d’Ecoutes (‘Listening Houses’), which are safe houses where SGBV survivors can talk about their experiences and seek help and advice. UNHCR trains refugee women to be volunteer counsellors with “big ears, big hearts and small mouths”.
These facilities are staffed by a psychologist and refugee women, many of them SGBV survivors themselves, who are trained by UNHCR. They offer a vital service, enabling women to report and talk about their experiences in a region where rape carries a shameful taboo and victims are often cast out by their families and community.
A trainer in Mugunga, eastern DRC, used a simple drawing of a woman to show the characteristics they would need: Big Ears, Small Mouth, Big Heart. Councellors are also trained to refer the women to other health, legal and livelihood services that can help them recover from their ordeal and gain the confidence and skills they need to support themselves and their children.
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