Overwhelming rates of maternal mortality, child mortality and other preventable death, poverty, poor education and other severe development and human rights challenges made the Democratic Republic of Congo the world's worst place to be a mother this year - again (Photo Credit: Leon Sadiki/City Press/Gallo Images/Getty Images).

Overwhelming rates of maternal mortality, child mortality, poverty, poor education and other severe development and human rights challenges made the Democratic Republic of Congo the world’s worst place to be a mother this year – again (Photo Credit: Leon Sadiki/City Press/Gallo Images/Getty Images).

Another Mother’s Day comes and goes and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is again ranked the world’s worst place to be a mother.

This is not because of gender-based violence, for which Congo has become famous, but due to overwhelming rates of maternal mortality, child mortality and other preventable death, poverty, poor education and other severe development and human rights challenges.

 

Other sources paint a similarly grim picture. According to the recently-released U.S. State Department Human Rights Report for DRC, less than 6% of women are using modern forms of contraception. And despite the great risks associated with reproduction and the desire of women to limit or space childbearing, it is common practice for health care providers to require a husband’s permission before providing family planning services to women.

The situation is bleak for all women in Congo, not just for mothers.

Severe violations of women’s human rights in Congo are heartbreakingly common, typically associated with the protracted conflict in the East that has come to be known as “Africa’sworld war,” and which has claimed by some estimates more than five million lives.

The most chilling aspect of Congo’s conflict is the campaign of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which are committed with impunity by security forces, including the armed forces of the DRC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo, FARDC), and other armed groups.

This, in flagrant and ironic violation of Congo’s “zero tolerance policy” for gender-based violence. Outside of Conflict-associated violence, violence against women is endemic – with 64% of women having experienced violence, again according to the latest Human Rights Report.

In addition to being the worst place for moms the last two years running, the DRC has not surprisingly been ranked the worst place to be a woman by the United Nations, a testimony to the full spectrum of rights abuses faced by Congo’s women.

Women’s human rights defenders are also targeted for the work they do.

Amnesty recognizes a woman’s rights to live free of violence, to have the information and resources to help her plan her family, and to have access to a safe delivery if and when she does become a mother as core to her human rights.

But for Congo’s women, these rights are far from realized.

This Mother’s Day, we are calling on the Kabila Government to realize its zero tolerance for gender-based violence policy. We are calling on the President to protect women’s human rights defenders, and protect the full spectrum of human rights of all women – mothers or no.

In addition, Amnesty International USA is calling on the U.S. Congress to introduce and pass the International Violence Against Women Act, which addresses the many forms of violence against women and girls and further provides for a comprehensive response that includes the various economic, health and other needs we know women of the DRC and the rest of the world need.

And finally, Amnesty’s My Body My Rights Campaign seeks to specifically protect sexual and reproductive rights – including the rights of Congo’s mothers to enjoy the opportunity to give life, without risking theirs.