According to the United Nations, the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the worst places in the world to be born a woman. The violence women suffer spreads like a deep, persistent stain across every part of society. They are the poorest, the sickest, the least educated, the least cared for, the ones who work the hardest and hold their families together.
Among themselves, they are called the women of a thousand arms—because they do absolutely everything and never rest. Yet even with all these responsibilities, many still find time to educate themselves in gender equality, engage in activism, and raise awareness among their neighbors to spark collective change.
‘DR Congo: The Women of a Thousand Arms’ offers a close look at the challenges women and children face: water scarcity, infant mortality, sexual violence… But it is also a story of resistance, showing how they confront these harsh realities with strength, intelligence, and solidarity.
Congo is one of the richest countries in the world in minerals like coltan and cobalt—crucial for producing mobile phones and electric car batteries. Yet in the mines where these resources are extracted, human rights violations are a daily reality for the artisanal miners, both women and men, who struggle to feed their families.
