The Democratic Republic of the Congo witnessed the deadliest conflict ever recorded in Africa during which hundreds of thousand women and girls were raped. Only now that the conflict is stabilised are the consequences of the brutality becoming visible. Rape is slowly seeping into everyday life. Rape survivors are struggling to carry on in a society where rape is a taboo and where family, friends and neighbours prefer to blame them rather than to prosecute their rapists.
Since September 2008, the mobile cinema project in eastern Congo has been educating communities about sexual violence by showing an adapted version of the IFPRODUCTIONS documentary ‘Fighting the Silence’ in public places, followed by a debate. Survivors testify in the film about how rape impacted their lives. They give voice to thousands of other survivors and their families who have chosen to hide their grief and remain silent for fear of being rejected. Over 2.000.000 people have been reached by this project.
WHEN
2008 till 2018
GOAL
Breaking through taboos and stigmas about sexual violence. Generating debates by showing film and facilitating debates to address taboos and stigmas.
IMPACT PARTNERS
Search for Common Ground and Amnesty International Netherlands
ABOUT THE FILM
RESULTS
In the nine year running time of this project the film was seen by approximately 2.000.000 people in DR Congo. Large public and smaller community screenings have been organized in collaboration with 38 local partners and over 100 other civil society structures assisted and co-facilitated by Search for Common Ground.
“After watching the film with the two men who took their raped wife’s back, after abandoning them, I understood this was also what I had to do. It was not my wife to blame”.
A Husband about his raped wife
“ We shouldn’t stigmatize, outcast and blame these women. I now realize we have to change our behavior and help these victims instead of victimizing them again”.
Women in the crowed
“It never came to me, that we should not blame these women for being raped. That is wrong”.
Men in the crowd
