The Dr Denis Mukwege, “the man who repairs women”, is known around the world for his operations on victims mutilated by rape.
In his latest essay, the Congolese surgeon and activist examines the inequities and social perceptions leading men to dehumanize girls and women, going so far as to commit acts of sexual violence of nameless savagery. In his hospital in eastern Congo, he has been welcoming these survivors for twenty years by performing complex operations, but also by offering a more global approach, both therapeutic and formative.
These are the stories of some of them that he tells, interspersed with statistics and personal memories of his realizations. While the recent history of the Congo and the use of rape as a weapon of war are explained alongside these presentations, Dr Mukwege cautions the reader against a rutting view: Sex crimes are far from exclusive to the African continent and conflict zones.
Shame, silence, legal obstacles are present in all societies, to varying degrees, notes the Nobel Prize. It pushes the questioning on the social role given to boys, in Congo or elsewhere, and on the consequences of a hierarchy between the genders. Reading The strength of women is often difficult, but offers a reflection on violence, resilience and possible solutions.
The strength of women
Denis mukwege
Gallimard
400 pages