Women Are Victims Of Sexual Violence - 3761 Words

I. Abstract Every five minutes, four women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are raped. This means that 1,100 women are victims of sexual violence on a daily basis (Counting Sexual Violence in the Congo). Such exorbitant cases of rape have earned the DRC its title as â€Å"the rape capital of the world† (Citation -http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8650112.stm). Nevertheless, Congolese conventions regarding gender roles have facilitated massive infliction of sexual violence, especially on behalf of soldiers. This incorporation of rape into the sociocultural fabric of the DRC has, in turn, given way to a normalization of rape culture in the Congo, which has perpetuated and even enabled the sexual violence crisis. Moreover, the rape†¦show more content†¦Men are conditioned to be â€Å"courageous, level-headed, tough killers† (Citation), while women are trained to be â€Å"caregivers, childe-bearers, [and] nurturers† (Citation). Furthermore, social norms est ablish that men ought to attain numerous partners and possess the fiscal capital to â€Å"bestow gifts in exchange for sex† (Citation). Because the notion of masculinity is particularly rigid in Congolese society, an extreme binary exists, under which an individual can only be masculine or feminine. This dichotomy engenders enormous pressure conferred upon men to fulfill masculine roles at any expense. Consequently, men in the DRC will often justify sexual violence perpetrated on women by privileging the need to realize their masculinity (Citation). This is particularly problematic because women are believed to exist for the sole benefit of men. And, men are compelled to express their masculinity outwardly, through rape, to evade skepticism of their capacity to be virile. Masculinity in this regard has been described by scholars as â€Å"not a natural trait, but something that must be achieved before one’s peers† (Citation – 121). Thus, rape could be perc eived as an external, visible display of masculinity. Although the actions of male perpetrators are not popular in the eyes of the international community, these individuals too