1,152 women are raped every single day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Adetunji). Due to the fact the nation is extremely rich in natural resources, has been lead by corrupt government leaders, and conflict involving neighbors countries, violence is abundant. Sexual violence against women is often used as a weapon to destroy and tear apart families and even entire communities. Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo legally have the same rights as men but traditional customary laws restricted their rights and unfortunately, those are often still practiced today. The sexism is reportedly increasing and even worse in rural areas. Gender inequality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo greatly affects agriculture and food security …show more content…
Limited representation in government, lack of opportunity in education and careers, inadequate healthcare, and horrific violence are just a fraction of what Congolese women have to face everyday. Women are treated as second-class citizens and legally the government favors the men in cases of trial or divorce, in which the father is almost always granted custody of their children (A to Z). It is much harder for women to also get an education and a job to support their families, even if they are more qualified. It is also not uncommon for girls as young as twelve years old to be forced into marriage. Healthcare is a huge issue for women across the country, as maternal mortality and infant mortality rates are some of the highest in the world. These women are not even allowed to make their own healthcare decisions and instead their husbands or other male family members somehow have the right to choose for them, which is simply ridiculous. In addition, less than 5% of women have access to and use contraceptives, which is a big problem primarily because women often end up with more children than she can provide for resulting in malnutrition and deeper poverty. Especially because AIDS is so widespread in the DRC, contraceptives are crucial when it comes to women’s health. Violence against women is perhaps the worst hardship a Congolese women will face. War and conflict,