Graduation of the Congolese Women Sexual Harassment Survival Class

Congolese Women:

A program called City of Joy, in Congo, gets together women from all over the country who are victims of sexual harassment. This is a program that supports the ending of violence of women and girls globally. This program helps the women in Congo (180 in this matter) to get through their disappointing and hardships through giving them sex education, therapies, dance tutorials, drama/theater, and also some form of self defense. With this, many women who come to this program in the beginning look like their life is over, leave the place with their past as a form of power to change the ways of the country. Congo being a nation with United Nations, there have been no ways of stopping the amount of women being sexually harassed, 48 per hour in this matter.

I believe that the ending of sexual harassment for women is no where towards the end, so I guess something like what the program of City of Joy is accomplishing has done something for the girls and women that were raped. Taking advantage of such people does make me feel rather disgusted. I believe that the City of Joy program allows women to stand up to their beliefs, it brings out the strength in them. Being raped is (for obvious reasons) not a pleasant thing, also allowing many to go into depression and many to even die. But for the people who survive, their lives take another turn. I believe that City of Joy may or may not get people to change their views for the better, as the "women have moved from pain to power... [and are] ready to help revolutionize their communities." So I believe people should also start to look at the right side, and do the right thing.

Vocab:

Assailants

a) "--have faced brutal rapes for years, with the assailants thrusting chunks of wood and guns into them in some cases."

b.i) a person who attacks another

ii) The origin of the word is from the time period of 1500's from Frances, coming out of the word assail from England. The original word means assault, as now it is more broad.

c) Being a indiscreet assailant, he was caught red handed getting out of the apartment by the neighbors.

Despair

a)"Upon their arrival, the faces of these women showed signs of despair, discouragement and loneliness"

b.i) lose all hope or confidence

ii) Origins from the words of des: without and sperare: to hope, started in the 14th century.

c) The Despair showed in her eyes when she dropped on her knees, made me feel guilty of the sin I had done.