‘1,152 are brutally raped every day. That works out to 48 rapes every hour’
Hunger, suffering, religious oppression, living in fear of ethnic cleansing and deprivation of basic human rights are unfamiliar territory in America. Praying for a safe refugee camp to appear on the horizon after walking for days seems little more than a nightmare. Dusty, arid lands and thousands of faces melt together in a portrait of incalculable need.
Nowhere is the suffering more acute than Congo. Dubbed the ‘worst place in the world to be a woman,’ the war-torn country is an epicenter of human suffering. The American Journal of Public Health published a study in May quantifying the moniker. Among girls and women aged 15-49, approximately 1,152 are brutally raped every day. That works out to 48 rapes per hour. My reaction was visceral, even though I knew the level of Sexual and Gender Based violence was astronomic, higher than at any time in recorded history. To digest the information, I touched base with Lisa Shannon, author of A Thousand Sisters. She was on a seven day hunger strike to show unity and support for our Sisters there.
A couple of days later, I committed to a seven day hunger strike immediately following the completion of Lisa’s effort. My faith allowed it, my doctor gave strict guidance, and my will was strong. At 12:00AM on May 21, 2011 I began a hunger strike to show solidarity with the women of Congo. As a lifelong committed Republican, a hunger strike ranked number one on the list of “things I will never do.” But life brings with it surprises and revelations. Ultimately, I completed a 40 day hunger strike. During this time approximately 46,080 women and girls were raped in Congo.
My decision to undertake this effort was about more than sisterhood, it was an expulsion of pain. The genesis of my affection for Africa’s women and children is about gratitude for my freedom. But also the duty preserving freedom requires. At age 17, I was held against my will for six days and raped repeatedly by several young men…