The 2011 selection for Live to Read, Ruined by Lynn Nottage dramatizes the struggle of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo surviving civil war. The Humanities Council of Washington, DC has compiled a list of local and international organizations that study and provide resources related to human rights and violence. If you have any links we should add, please email Elizabeth Hill, Director of Programs and Communications at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sexual Assault in Washington, DC

• According to Metropolitan Police Department, there were 150 cases of forcible rape in 2009
• Since 2009, the number of serious sexual assaults in the District has increased 50%
• The number of adult sexual assaults is up 11% citywide from 2009

National Sexual Assault Statistics

Sexual Assault

• Every 2 minutes, someone in The U.S. is sexually assaulted
• 73% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by a non-stranger
• More than 50% of all rape/sexual assault instances occurred within 1 mile of the victim's home
• Sexual Assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with 60% of assaults are unreported
• It is estimated that only about 6% of rapists ever spend a day in jail

Rape

• 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime
• About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
• 43% of rapes occur between 6 pm and midnight
• 44% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 18,15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12

Victims of sexual assault are:

• 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder then the general population
• 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol then the general population
• 26 times more likely to abuse drugs then the general population.
• 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide then the general population

Statistics Gathered From:
http://www.rainn.org/statistics
http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/facts.html

Rape, Domestic Violence and Assault Resources:

• 1in6
• An Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence Aid and Resource Collection for Male Victims
• Community United Against Violence
• DC Bar - A Practical Guide to DC Law for Teens and Young Adults
• DC Collation Against Domestic Violence
• DC Rape Crisis Center
• House of Ruth
• Men Can Stop Rape
• My Sister’s Place, Inc.
• United States Department of Justice – Office of Violence Against Women
• Sexual Assault Center
• Rape Abuse and Incest National Network
• Take Back the Night
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline
• The Women’s Center
• Victim Witness Assistance
• Whitman-Walker Clinic
• Women Empowered Against Violence
• Women of Color Against Violence

Human Rights in The Democratic Republic of Congo:

• Amnesty International

Human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo
2010 Report
Human rights violations and crimes against women

• CBS News

60 Minutes (CBS): War Against Women

• Eastern Congo Initiative

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/WarDemo

• Friends of the Congo

Women’s Voices
General Information Provided By Friends of the Congo

• Human Rights Watch

World Report 2011: Democratic Republic of Congo
January 2011 County Summary: Democratic Republic of Congo
Always on the Run: The Vicious Cycle of Displacement in Eastern Congo
Trail of Death: LRA Atrocities in Northeastern Congo
“You Will Be Punished”: Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo
Interview with Lynn Nottage on rape as a weapon of war

• International Rescue Committee

Rape in The Congo

• The Greatest Silence

Documentary film by Lisa Jackson on rape in the Congo

• The University of California – Berkeley

Living with Fear

• United Nations

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

• U.S. Department of State

Democratic Republic of Congo