Eve Ensler: "Rape Is A Very Cheap Method Of Warfare"

Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda was arrested in Rwanda on Friday. Nkunda has been accused of encouraging soldiers under his command to use rape as a widespread war strategy.

As we’ve previously mentioned, the violence against women in Congo has reached unprecedented levels. Over the weekend, NPR interviewed Eve Ensler and Dr. Denis Mukwege about their work in helping to heal the wounds caused by the sexual attacks of soldiers. Mukwege, the founder of Panzi hospital in the Congo, said that first “we need to help them feel like human beings again before we can do any medical help.” Eve Ensler became involved with the crisis in Congo through several interviews she conducted with Dr. Mukwege in 2006. She continues to raise awareness about the violence in Congo, partially through V-Day, a global movement she founded to end violence against women. In this clip, Eve Ensler and Dr. Mukwege calls for help from Americans to help “put pressure on the political actors of the countries of the great lakes so there will be a political will to prevent these horrible crimes.” [NPR]