Mukwege: “Whenever there is evil, society must mobilise to fight it”

“When I look ahead to the future of Congo, I can’t picture it without these women activists, who have suffered atrocities,” said Dr Denis Mukwege during a visit to Parliament on 26 March. The 2014 Sakharov Prize Winner, who treats victims of sexual violence in DR Congo, discussed his country's future as well as violence against women with the human rights subcommittee. He also called for Congolese unity: “Whenever there is evil in society, that society must mobilise to fight it.”

Denis Mukwege, the 2014 Sakharov Prize winner, talks to EuroparlTV about his work and living with threats.

Denis Mukwege

Mukwege is an internationally-recognised expert in the treatment of pathological and psycho-social damage caused by sexual violence. The 60-year-old gynaecologist founded the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu in 1998, when a war took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where today he still treats victims of sexual violence who have suffered serious injuries.

Sakharov Prize

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.


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