Nick Malutama ‘08
Artist
Since 1997, my country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been the victim of successive armed conflicts and political unrest. Some stated this conflict was the deadliest conflict since World War II. The Kivu region in the eastern part of the country has been the battleground between the Congolese national army and different armed groups. One of the major characteristics of this conflict is the use of violence towards women, especially sexual violence as a weapon. Numerous cases of rape, sexual abuses and mutilations have been reported. Women have been deliberately targeted and have been victimized in an attempt to destroy families and communities.
Women have always been the center of the family, responsible for child bearing and rearing. As a result of this conflict, a pressure has been placed on women’s responsibilities as their husbands and sons left for battle in order to protect their land. Women became more and more responsible for finding means to support their families, carrying that heavy burden on their own. Therefore, sexual violence became a way to destroy not only the spirit of the warriors and their family, but also a way to make sure that those communities will never be able to survive and rebuild themselves. It is a direct attempt to destroy the future of a nation, leaving women and children with fear and scars. Coming from such situations, it was important for me to make a difference and through my work, be able to speak up for those who have no voice, those who are oppressed, and those who are forced to live in shame without hope.
It is important to raise awareness of this situation, especially in areas of conflict, as women do not possess the means to speak up and defend themselves. They have to suffer not only the loss of those they love, but also the humiliation of having their lives being stripped of its beauty, left only with broken souls. Not all women have the privilege to obtain an education or to be valued and respected. It is important to pass a message of equality beyond our differences: gender, nationality, religion, etc. Real strength resides in our ability to respect each other, accepting others for who they are. Throughout history, women have always been portrayed as weak and reduced to a lower rank. We forget to recognize their role, importance and strength and their equal position as human beings. Empowering Play has helped me realize that we all can make a small difference and that change begins with ourselves first. A different attitude and mindset is all that it takes.
This project affects me personally as a son, brother and father in the future. It is unconceivable to see those we love mistreated and hurt. A project such as this one represents the screams of millions of women and children, their cries and tears as their world falls apart. As a final touch, I would like to say that sexual violence towards women carries immediate and future consequences to her foundation as the pillar of families and communities; the nurturer and bearer of life is left wounded
and destroyed.
