Amid surge in conflict-related sexual violence, survivors are rebuilding their lives

BENI, The Democratic Republic of the Congo - Women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have endured a dramatic surge in sexual violence over the last year, as armed groups ramp up their assault on civilians.

The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office recorded 1,534 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, as well as sexual slavery in which women and girls are held in prolonged captivity and subjected to repeated assault. And because stigma and shame prevent many survivors from coming forward, even these staggering figures are likely an undercount.

Maman Masika* is one of those women.

Yet her story is not only one of horror - it is one of survival, recovery and empowerment. Despite repeated exposure to violence and assault, her spirit is unbroken.

Her motivation to survive and thrive is too powerful, she explained: "I'm not just working for myself. I want my grandchildren to go to school and have a better future."

Abducted and assaulted

It started in August, when armed fighters attacked their village, some 60 miles north of the city of Beni in North Kivu Province. She and her husband were farmers, and Ms. Masika had been out on the field when armed rebels violently assaulted and abducted her.

"That day, I lost my inner peace," she recounted to UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, which is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the UN.

Her husband and two other women were also captured in the raid. Her husband managed to escape, but Ms. Masika and the other women were brought into the forest and then separated.

Ms. Masika was then subjected to brutal and repeated sexual violence.

Days later, as she was being forced to march through the trees, there was a moment of confusion among the rebels, and Ms. Masikashe was able to slip away.

Unsafe in their village, she and her family escaped to Beni. "We fled. We left everything behind," she said.

Physical and mental recovery

The first 72 hours after a sexual assault are the most critical. In that window, survivors can receive emergency treatments that can prevent pregnancy and HIV transmission. Unfortunately, Ms. Masika's prolonged captivity - about a week - meant she was unable to access this support within that time period.

Still, when she arrived in Beni, she was referred to a specialized centre at the Beni General Referral Hospital, where survivors of sexual violence can receive an integrated package of services. The centre, which is supported by UNFPA with funding from the Government of the Republic of Korea, offers everything from physical healthcare to legal, emotional and economic support.

First, Ms. Masika's physical wounds were disinfected and treated. Then, she was provided psychosocial care for extreme trauma.

Ms. Masika began an intensive three months of individual therapy with UNFPA-supported psychologists to overcome anxiety attacks, nightmares and partial muteness brought on by the ordeal. The counselling also helped her understand that she did not deserve the profound sense of shame that she carried after the experience.

Economic empowerment

It was a challenging road, but Ms. Masika knew that she could not give up. She and her large family - including four children and six grandchildren - had been uprooted and needed to start life anew.

"After the violence, we had nothing left. We started growing cassava again, and after the harvest, I tried selling pagnes," she said, referring to colourful fabrics worn in the community. "Unfortunately, it didn't work out."

The profits weren't enough to support the family. She also tried other ventures, including a mobile veterinary unit and a small pharmacy, but her businesses were attacked and looted three times by armed men - further terrorizing Ms. Masika and threatening her fragile recovery.

"There were times when I thought it was all over," she confided.

This is when she began to receive another form of post-violence support: economic assistance from the the National Fund for Reparations for Victims of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (FONAREV), a joint partnership between UNFPA, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (BCNUDH), the UN Development Programme, UN Women and UNICEF.

The toll of conflict-related sexual violence often cannot be remedied by physical and mental healthcare alone. This is why the initiative works to help survivors achieve holistic social and economic recovery.

"Economic independence boosts self-esteem. When a woman regains the ability to contribute to household needs and make decisions, it reduces her vulnerability," one of the clinical psychologists explained.

After completing her counselling sessions, Ms. Masika was enrolled in a training programme that covered technical skills in entrepreneurship and business management.

She was then offered $230 to start up a new business. "When I received that money, I realized I could still start a business in the fabric industry because I know the market from having tried it once," Ms. Masika said.

Silent no more

Today, Ms. Masika no longer defines herself by the violence she suffered. She sees herself as a shopkeeper, a mother, a grandmother and a pillar of the family.

At a makeshift wooden stall beneath a mango tree, she now sells colourful pagnes to community members. The profits cover a good portion of household expenses and - most importantly for her - pay her grandchildren's school fees.

"Before, I cried in silence," she said. "Today, I plan for the future, and I understand that I am not alone."

*Name changed for protection and privacy