The power of women : a doctor's journey of hope and healing

The power of women A doctor's journey of hope and healing

Denis Mukwege

Book - 2021

"From Nobel laureate, world-renowned doctor, and noted human rights activist Dr. Denis Mukwege comes an inspiring clarion call-to-action to confront the scourge of sexual violence and better learn from women's resilience, strength, and power. At the heart of Dr. Mukwege's message will be the voices of the many women he has worked with over the years. Dr. Mukwege will use individual cases to reassure all survivors that, even if their psychological wounds may never fully heal, they can recover and thrive with the right care and support. Dr. Mukwege's dramatic personal story is interwoven throughout as he explores the bigger issues that have become a focus of his advocacy. He will seek to explain why sexual violence is so o...ften overlooked during war, and how governments need to recognize and compensate victims. He will also stress the importance of breaking down the taboos surrounding assault, and the necessity of building a system that supports women who come forward. His words advocate for saying 'no' to indifference and he asks readers to reckon with the West's involvement in perpetuating sexual violence in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to confront the abuse taking place in their own communities. Sexual violence does not occur in a vacuum. The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has raged for over 20 years and has claimed an estimated 5 million lives, is inseparable from Western patriarchy and economic colonization. And this cycle of violence and spoils is not limited to Congo. Dr. Mukwege's work has led him to South Korea, Latin America, the Middle East, and elsewhere in Africa, where he has found striking similarities in women's testimonies. The truth is, through the intricate ties of the global economy, we are all implicated in violence against women - whether it occurs amidst the fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo or on college campuses in the West. And Dr. Mukwege's writing will address men as well, encouraging and guiding them to become allies in the fight against sexual abuse, in war and in peace. Building more inclusive, gender-balanced societies will require developing what he calls "positive masculinity" - a systemic change in male behavior and attitudes towards women. Dr. Mukwege hopes to inspire other men to speak out and join the struggle, rather than leaving women to fight the battle alone. He will also make the case, drawing from his experience and a wealth of research on the topic, that when women are involved as economic and political decision makers, all of society benefits. The Power of Women will illuminate the enduring strength of women in the face of violence and trauma, and give hope for the potential of individuals to turn the tide"--

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Subjects
Mukwege, Denis.
Physicians > Congo (Democratic Republic)
Women > Violence against > Africa.
Sexual abuse victims > Africa.
Rape victims > Africa.
Women and war > Africa.
Resilience (Personality trait) > Africa.
Women > Africa > Social conditions.
Published
New York : Flatiron Books 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Denis Mukwege (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
"An Oprah book"--Title page.
Physical Description
xvii, 300 pages : map ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [281]-288) and index.
ISBN
9781250769190
  • Map
  • Introduction
  • 1. Maternal Courage
  • 2. A Women's Health Crisis
  • 3. Crisis and Resilience
  • 4. Pain and Power
  • 5. In His Words
  • 6. Speaking Out
  • 7. Fighting for Justice
  • 8. Recognition and Remembrance
  • 9. Men and Masculinity
  • 10. Leadership
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Mukwege, a Nobel Prize--winning Congolese gynecologist specializing in rape injuries, debuts with a harrowing look at sexual violence in Congo and other conflict zones and a stirring call to combat the stigmatization of rape victims around the world. A child during the chaotic early days of Congo's independence in the 1960s, Mukwege's career was profoundly affected by escalating violence between Rwandan Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups and the First and Second Congo Wars from 1996 to 1998. To help treat women who had been sexually violated and abused during those conflicts, Mukwege developed a mental health--centered approach at the hospital he founded in 1999, and, in 2011, joined forces with V (formerly known as Eve Ensler) to open City of Joy, a treatment center where women are given counseling and support after suffering sexual assault. Mukwege also recounts the efforts of the Congolese government to silence him, and the threats and assassination attempts he has faced for trying to garner international attention for the plight of women in his home country, and details practical methods for educating boys and men about the scourge of sexual violence and rooting out misogynist attitudes in patriarchal cultures. This is a vital record of the suffering and resilience of Congolese women and a powerful exhortation to dismantle rape culture. (Nov.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mukwege, a gynecological surgeon in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is famed worldwide for his support and treatment of women raped during armed conflict. (His work has taken him to South Korea, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as other countries in Africa.) Here he explains the need to better support survivors, shatter taboos regarding assault, understand why wartime sexual violence is often disregarded and how Western involvement can perpetuate it, and build a more positive masculinity. He also uses the voices of those he has worked with to persuade other survivors that they, too, will be able to move forward. With a 125,000-copy first printing.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

The Congolese gynecologist who won the 2018 Nobel Prize for aiding rape victims during the civil wars in his country depicts his inspiring journey. A self-proclaimed feminist who often has to justify his chosen profession and life's work to officers at the U.N. and elsewhere, Mukwege offers an impassioned argument for women's health care and basic universal human rights. He bases the narrative on his experiences with the ravages of war, colonization, poverty, and ignorance in his own country. The author opens in his hometown of Bukavu, near the border with Rwanda. He chronicles his childhood with parents who largely eschewed the traditional roles ascribed to boys and girls, roles that devalued women's work in the home and fields. Once he began to work with patients, Mukwege soon recognized the enormous need for women's health care in a country with few medical doctors but high maternal and child mortality rates. After training in France, he returned to direct a hospital and then build another one in the countryside to address the catastrophic toll of rape during the civil wars that began in the late 1990s. Mukwege became an expert in obstetric fistula, and thousands of women came to him for life-saving treatment after suffering sexual violence. In his moving account of his courageous work, the author spares no detail, demonstrating the indispensable assistance he and his colleagues provided to traumatized survivors. As he writes, he sought out this work in order to combat the stigmatization and isolation of rape victims, despite the threat of death to himself and his family. "Breaking the silence about sexual violence in all its forms--harassment, rape, incest--is the essential first step in tackling the problem," he writes. All along, he argues forcefully for the necessity of changing the education and mindsets of men throughout the world. An important, deeply affecting account of the invaluable work of a devoted humanitarian. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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