In 2005, Francine was bathing her child while her husband was sleeping when 8 armed men entered (Enough Project). When the men asked where Francine’s husband was, “She claimed he was traveling, but they quickly found him under the bed. They lined them up against the wall and had them remove their clothes. The invaders told them to look at each other, and they said this is the last time you will ever consider her your wife because she will now become our wife” (Enough Project). Upon the men entering the room, Francine, “cried out and they told her to be quiet. She kept crying so they shot her through both legs, multiple times” (Enough Project). In all this commotion, Francine’s husband woke up and began to beg to the men and asked what they wanted. The men said, ‘“Give us two picks, a radio, and clothes,’ and then they went through the house looting, ultimately demanding a further $100” (Enough Project). In response, the men asked for multiple things, and when the family was unable to give them everything, the men raped Francine. In fact, they didn’t rape her once but instead, “The men...took turns”. While she was being raped, “Her husband protested, and they shot him, the blood spurting on her and the rapist” (Enough Project). Afterwards, the men left and Francine was rushed to the hospital where she had to have her leg amputated.
Why is this important?
This experience gives the world an eye-opener on the horrors that went on during this time period (and are still going on). Women are being mistreated on a daily basis and the government seems to be doing nothing about it. This completely changed our way of thinking because it made us realize that we live in a “bubble” of security. We are very fortunate and lucky to grow up in such a safe and loving environment. Unfortunately, not everyone experiences this life. This source made us realize how ignorant we are to what is going on around the world. The civilians of the DRC experienced a numerous amount of human rights violations, such as this one. It makes us question the morals of leaders and how people can stand to do such awful things. It showed us that we can make a difference while other voices stand silent like this one.