War and the systematic devastation of women: the call for increased attention to traumatic gynaecological fistulae [Holdstock-Piachaud Prize Essay]

The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the deadliest the world has seen since World War II, with an estimated 5.4 million lives lost since 1998 (IRC 2011). The war, which started in order to depose a dictator and officially ended in 2003 with a peace accord being signed and the country's first democratic elections following in 2006, continues in a different form today (Economist 2011). The DRC has a history of economic activity taking place outside the official, legal ambit of the state, and this has persisted to date. Additionally, the Zairian state's unwillingness to provide basic services to the people under Mobuku Sese Seko's dictatorial government and the consequent weakening of state authority, led to people taking matters into their own hands. Eastern DRC is rich in natural resources such as copper, uranium, gold, diamonds, and coltan. The exploitation and trade of these resources is fuelling the fighting in the DRC, with various countries within the African region backing different militias, in an attempt to gain access to its resources (Moyroud and Katunga 2002). Keeping the conflict alive, therefore, comes with numerous economic benefits, and is financially viable. Few stakeholders are interested in negotiating peace.

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War and the systematic devastation of women: the call for increased attention to traumatic gynaecological fistulae [Holdstock-Piachaud Prize Essay]

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