South Kivu, DRC (Uvira)
As armed conflict by M23 and other armed groups intensified in eastern DRC in 2025, sexual violence was systematically deployed as a weapon of war. At the same time, conservative and anti-rights actors amplified narratives criminalising contraception and safe abortion, further restricting survivors’ access to critical care for survivors and deepening their vulnerability.
In response, Association des Survivantes de Viols aux Pays de Grands Lacs (ASV) deployed mobile clinics directly into displacement camps and reception areas, removing barriers to urgent medical services. Survivors received immediate post-rape care, including HIV and STI testing, emergency contraception, and psychosocial support. Alongside service delivery, the organisation trained 40 women human rights defenders to challenge anti-rights narratives and advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) within their communities.
The intervention supported 120 survivors with timely post-rape care, including HIV/STI testing, emergency contraception, and psychosocial support, reducing delays that can have life-threatening consequences. Beyond immediate support, ASV established a localised, feminist response infrastructure embedded within communities. Trained defenders now serve as trusted frontline actors, helping survivors access care while actively countering harmful narratives.
Despite active conflict and anti-rights resistance, the intervention not only reached survivors but also established a localised feminist response infrastructure within displacement settings, strengthening both immediate care and longer-term community resilience.
“Without this intervention, many women would have been left without care and without a voice. This funding has allowed us to save lives, but also to defend our dignity in the face of the discourse that wants to silence us”. – ASV Women’s human rights defender”
