Denis Mukwege Explained

Denis Mukwege
Birth Date:1955 3, df=y
Birth Place:Bukavu, Belgian Congo
Education:University of Burundi (MD)
University of Angers (MA)
Université libre de Bruxelles (PhD)
Years Active:1983–present
Relatives:Mushaga Bakenga (nephew)
Awards:Nobel Peace Prize
Human Rights First
Civil Courage Prize
Wallenberg Medal
Right Livelihood Award
Four Freedoms Award
Time 100
Sakharov Prize
Seoul Peace Prize
UN Prize in Human Rights
Olof Palme Prize
Gulbenkian Prize
Legion of Honour

Denis Mukwege (;[1] born 1 March 1955) is a Congolese gynecologist[2] and Pentecostal pastor.[3] He founded and works in Panzi Hospital in Bukavu,[3] where he specializes in the treatment of women who have been raped by armed rebels.[4] In 2018, Mukwege and Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict".[5] [6]

Mukwege has treated thousands of women who were victims of rape as a weapon of war since the Second Congo War, some of them more than once, performing up to ten operations a day during his 17-hour working days.[7] According to The Globe and Mail, Mukwege is "likely the world's leading expert on repairing injuries of rape".[8] In 2013, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "his courageous work healing women survivors of war-time sexual violence and speaking up about its root causes."[9]

Mukwege's continued demand for justice for the victims of the Congo conflicts has resulted in him receiving threats against his life and the Panzi hospital. He has received these death threats on social media platforms, which emerged from various sources including Mukwege's country of origin, the DRC, and neighboring Rwanda and Uganda.[10] Reportedly, the threats have emerged following Denis' increasing calls for perpetrators who were named in a decade-old UN report, to be brought before an international tribunal.[11] A previous assassination attempt was made on Mukwege's life in 2012, which resulted in him and his family leaving the country over concerns for their safety.[12]

On 2 October 2023, Mukwege announced his candidacy for president in the 2023 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election.[13] He ultimately came in sixth place in the official results, receiving 39,639 votes.[14] [15]

Early life and education

Born in Belgian Congo—today the Democratic Republic of the Congo—Mukwege is the third of nine children born to a Pentecostal minister and his wife. He almost died at birth due to an infection but was saved by the Swedish Pentecostal missionary and midwife Majken Bergman.[16] Mukwege decided to study medicine after seeing the complications that women in the Congo experienced during childbirth who had no access to specialist healthcare, and he wanted to heal the sick people for whom his father prayed.

After graduating with a medical degree from the University of Burundi in 1983, Mukwege worked as a paediatrician in the rural Lemera Hospital near Bukavu.[17] [18] However, after seeing female patients who often suffered from pain, genital lesions, and obstetric fistulas after giving birth due to an absence of proper care, he decided to study gynaecology and obstetrics at the University of Angers, France, obtaining his masters and completing his medical residency in 1989.[19] His education was mainly financed by the Swedish Pentecostal mission.[20] [21]

On 24 September 2015, Mukwege earned a PhD from Université libre de Bruxelles for his thesis on traumatic fistulas in the Eastern Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[22] [23]

Career

After completion of his studies in France (1989), Mukwege returned to work at the Lemera Hospital. During the Lemera massacre, which marked the commencement of the First Congo War, the Lemera Hospital was attacked, his patients and co-workers were killed and the hospital was ransacked. Dr. Mukwege fled to Bukavu where he founded the Panzi Hospital in 1999. Its construction was mainly financed by Swedish Christian aid organizations and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The Panzi Hospital has continued to enjoy support from the Swedish Pentecostal Mission's development cooperation organization PMU.[24]

Since its foundation, Panzi Hospital has treated more than 82,000 patients with complex gynaecological damage and trauma.[25] An estimated 60 percent of these injuries result from instances of sexual violence being used as a weapon of war, with most of the patients of the time coming from conflict zones. Mukwege has described how his patients arrived at the hospital sometimes naked, usually in horrific conditions. When he observed that different armed groups were using genital damage as a weapon of war during the conflict of the late 1990s, Mukwege devoted himself to reconstructive surgery to help female victims of sexual violence. The German Institute for Medical Mission (DIFAEM) has been supporting Mukwege's work with funds and medicines.[26] In 2008, the non-profit Panzi Foundation DRC was created in order to support the work of Panzi Hospital with "legal assistance, psycho-social support and socio-economic programmes." A Panzi Foundation USA was later founded to promote fundraising in the United States of America, and encourage investment in the Panzi Hospital and Foundations. In 2016 the Mukwege Foundation was created, to promote the aims of the Panzi Hospital and Foundations worldwide and "advocate for an end to wartime sexual violence everywhere."[27] The holistic care approach that the Panzi Foundation employs reflects Dr. Mukwege's beliefs, as a co-founder of the organization, in the need for treating the person as a whole.[7]

United Nations speech

See also: Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Wartime sexual violence. In September 2012, Mukwege gave a speech at the United Nations where he condemned the mass rape occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,[28] and criticized the Congolese government and other countries "for not doing enough to stop what he called 'an unjust war that has used violence against women and rape as a strategy of war.[29] The Democratic Republic of Congo has been called "the worst place in the world to be a woman" and "the rape capital of the world" because of the extent of the sexual violence committed against women resulting from the ongoing conflict.[30] The UN has declared that sexual violence is more prominent in the Democratic Republic of Congo than any other country in the world.[31]

Assassination attempt and return

On 25 October 2012, four armed men attacked Mukwege's residence while he was not home, held his daughters hostage, and waited for his return to assassinate him. Upon his return, his guard, and close friend, intervened and was shot dead by the assassins. They missed Mukwege as he dropped to the ground during the shooting.[32] After the assassination attempt, Mukwege went into exile in Europe and the Panzi Hospital reported that his absence had a "devastating effect" on its daily operations.

Mukwege returned to Bukavu on 14 January 2013, where the population received him with a warm welcome over the 20 miles from Kavumu Airport to the city. He received a particularly warm welcome from his patients, who had raised the funds to pay for his return ticket by selling pineapples and onions.[33]

Other activities

At 13 years of age, Mukwege took the decision to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Pentecostal minister, which was a transformative experience for him. He later said: "I started to speak in tongues. My whole being was filled with heat and a certainty that I was not alone. The experience was so overwhelming that I knew my life was forever changed by that moment."[34] Apart from working as a doctor, he partly ministers in a Pentecostal church in Bukavu with 700 members.[35] Mukwege has repeatedly named his faith in Jesus Christ as a primary motivation for his work at Panzi.[36]

The Panzi Hospital is being run by the Congolese Pentecostal movement CEPAC and has been continuously supported by the Swedish Pentecostal movement. In 2015, Mukwege was invited to speak at Nyhemsveckan, the annual Pentecostal conference in central Sweden. He then said:

From this place, people have been praying for my beloved country and tonight it is a privilege for me to stand here as a fruit of your prayers. My congregation belongs to the Congolese Pentecostal Movement Cepac, and with about one million members it is a fruit of your prayers. The Panzi hospital is a fruit of your prayers. The church must be based on prayer. The Bible tells us to be thankful and thus, I want to be a representative for all those who received the blessings from your efforts in my country and elsewhere, saying thank you from the bottom of my heart.[24]

Dr. Mukwege founded the City of Joy with Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler Deshryver as a place to support the women who were victims of sexual assault as a weapon of war and treated at the Panzi Hospital. The City of Joy works to support the healing of the patient's mental and emotional trauma from the assault while also providing them with life skills and leadership training to ensure their success in their community upon their return.[37] The City of Joy has proven to transform and empower participant's views on financial matters and domestic decisions. The City of Joy opened its doors in 2011, and a Netflix documentary was released about the City of Joy in 2016.[38]

When the United Kingdom assumed the presidency of the G7 in 2021, Mukwege was appointed by the United Kingdom's Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss to a newly formed Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) chaired by Sarah Sands.[39]

Board membership

Personal life

Mukwege has five children.

Recognition

Awards

Honorary degrees

Publications

Documentary films

Notes and References

  1. .
  2. Web site: 2017-08-29 . Gynecologists: When to see one, what to expect, common procedures . 2022-04-26 . www.medicalnewstoday.com . en.
  3. Web site: 2018-10-18 . Congolese Pentecostals see Denis Mukwege, Nobel Prize-winning doctor, as a 'blessing' . 2022-04-22 . Religion News Service . en-US.
  4. News: Doctor and Advocate: One Surgeon's Global Fight for the Rights of Rape Survivors . Pacific Standard. 19 March 2018.
  5. Announcement. The Nobel Peace Prize. 5 October 2018. 5 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181005154231/https://old.nobelprize.org/pea-press.pdf?_ga=2.201315175.873660876.1538722964-1765660518.1538398809. dead.
  6. Web site: Shellnutt . Kate . Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Christian Doctor Who Heals Rape Victims . 2022-04-22 . News & Reporting . 5 October 2018 . en.
  7. Web site: Dr. Denis Mukwege. 12 December 2020. Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation. en-US.
  8. Nolen, Stephanie. "Where repairing rape damage is an expertise", The Globe and Mail, 22 October 2008.
  9. Web site: Denis Mukwege. The Right Livelihood Award. en-US. 7 January 2020.
  10. October 7 . Aryn Baker . Edt . 2020 12:53 Pm . Two Years Ago He Won the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, He's Under Threat for Standing Up for Victims of Sexual Violence . 2022-04-22 . Time . en.
  11. Two Years Ago He Won the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, He's Under Threat for Standing Up for Victims of Sexual Violence. 7 October 2020. Time.
  12. Web site: WCC urges protecting the life of Dr Denis Mukwege in Democratic Republic of the Congo . 2022-04-22 . World Council of Churches . en.
  13. Web site: RDC: Le docteur Denis Mukwege, Prix Nobel de la paix 2018, candidat à la présidentielle . 2 October 2023 .
  14. Web site: Résultats des élections combinées du 20 décembre 2023 . Results of the combined elections of 20 December 2023 . . 15 January 2024 . fr.
  15. 9 January 2024 . Audience publique du 09 janvier 2024 – Contentieux des résultats de la présidentielle . Public Hearing of January 09, 2024 - Litigation over the presidential election results . video . fr . 13 January 2024 . 1:47:00 . . Facebook.
  16. Web site: Inget pris i världen förändrar Mukwege. 8 November 2018. Dagen . sv. 8 December 2018.
  17. Web site: Denis Mukwege. Université d'Angers . UA Talents . fr. 5 October 2018.
  18. Web site: Honoris causa . Denis Mutwege . Boisdron . D . 25 January 2018 . Univ. Angers . fr . 5 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000846/http://www.univ-angers.fr/fr/recherche/actualites/honoris-causa/nouvelle-page.html . 6 October 2018 . dead .
  19. News: A fate shaped by injustice – one man's mission to help the women of DR Congo . 18 March 2016 . UN News. interview. 19 March 2018.
  20. Web site: Panzi Hospital. UPanzi Foundation . en. 8 December 2018.
  21. A glimpse of hope in the heart of Africa: towards the full implementation of the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement. Denis. Mukwege. 4 May 2014. Peacebuilding. 2. 2. 221–223. 10.1080/21647259.2014.910385. 72371963.
  22. Web site: Mukwege . Denis . Etiologie, classification et traitement des fistules traumatiques uro-génitales et génito-digestives basses dans l'est de la RDC . fr . Université libre de Bruxelles. 24 September 2015.
  23. Web site: Nobel Peace Prize Winner Denis Mukwege Keeps the Faith in the Face of Violence . 2022-04-26 . crcc.usc.edu . 8 January 2019 . en-US.
  24. Web site: Pentecostal Nobel Peace Prize Winner Denis Mukwege Gives Glory to God . 7 October 2018 . PCPJ . en. 8 December 2018.
  25. Web site: How Dr. Denis Mukwege Became a Global Advocate for Rape Survivors . 2022-04-26 . Women and Girls . 12 October 2017 . en.
  26. .
  27. Web site: The Foundation . Mukwege Foundation . 18 June 2020 .
  28. Web site: Presentation to the United Nations . 25 September 2012 . Dr. Denis . Mukwege . Panzi Hospital. 22 October 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141010181127/http://www.panzihospital.org/archives/1027 . 10 October 2014.
  29. News: Cowell. Alan . Gettleman . Jeffrey. Denis Mukwege, Congolese Gynecologist, Is Awarded Sakharov Prize . 22 October 2014. The New York Times . 22 October 2014.
  30. News: Wilén. Nina. Ingelaere. Bert. Analysis War-torn Congo has been called the 'rape capital of the world.' Here is how fighters think about sexual violence.. en-US. Washington Post. 12 December 2020. 0190-8286.
  31. News: Bartlett. Karen . How one man gave Congo's women hope . What a good man can do: Life is hell for the women caught up in the conflict in the Congo. But one remarkable doctor is helping a few survivors to build themselves a future, finds Karen Bartlett. The Times . 28 January 2010 . 19 April 2022. Full article
  32. Web site: An Attack on One of My Heroes, Dr. Denis Mukwege . Nicholas . Kristof . 26 October 2012 . The New York Times . 27 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121027045700/http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/an-attack-on-one-of-my-heroes-dr-denis-mukwege/ . 22 October 2012 . live.
  33. Web site: Congolese gynaecologist wins EU Sakharov Prize. 23 October 2014. 20 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210420013458/https://www.enca.com/africa/congolese-gynaecologist-denis-mukwegu-wins-eu-sakharov-prize. dead.
  34. Book: Åkerlund . Berthil . 2018 . Denis Mukwege: en levnadsberättelse . Denis Mukwege: a life story . Weyler . 97 . 9789185849826 .
  35. https://www.franceinter.fr/monde/nobel-de-la-paix-le-medecin-congolais-denis-mukwege-recompense Nobel de la paix : le médecin congolais Denis Mukwege récompensé
  36. Web site: Congolese Pentecostals see Denis Mukwege, Nobel Prize-winning doctor, as a 'blessing'. Religion News Service. 18 October 2018. 8 December 2018. en-US.
  37. Quattrochi. John. Biaba. Rosalie. Nordås. Ragnhild. Østby. Gudrun. Alldén. Susanne. Cikara. Aline. Namegabe. Esther. Amisi. Christina. 18 September 2019. Effects of an empowerment program for survivors of sexual violence on attitudes and beliefs: evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo. International Journal for Equity in Health. 18. 1. 149. 10.1186/s12939-019-1049-4. 31533738. 6751604. 1475-9276. free.
  38. Web site: V-Day – City of Joy. 12 December 2020. www.cityofjoycongo.org.
  39. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g7-gender-equality-advisory-council-membership-announced G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council membership announced
  40. https://panzifoundation.org/
  41. Web site: Our Team . Panzi Foundation . 18 June 2020.
  42. https://cfj.org/
  43. https://www.who.int/groups/science-council Science Council
  44. https://www.womenpoliticalleaders.org/about/advisory-board/ Global Advisory Board
  45. Web site: United Nations Human Rights Prize 2008. 1 February 2009. 14 February 2008.
  46. Web site: DR Congo doctor is 'top African'. 1 February 2009 . 10 December 2008 . BBC News.
  47. News: Qui est Denis Mukwege, l'homme qui répare les femmes ?. 29 January 2016. Blog du SEL. 5 October 2018. fr-FR.
  48. Web site: The King Baudouin International Development Prize, A Prestigious and Original Accolade. 24 May 2011. 24 May 2011. https://archive.today/20131203143452/http://www.kbs-frb.be/grant.aspx?id=297836&langtype=1033&src=true . 3 December 2013. dead.
  49. Web site: The Clinton Global Citizen Award. 4 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121004023644/http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/ourmeetings/2011/meeting_annual_GCAwards.asp. 4 October 2012. dead.
  50. News: Deutscher Medienpreis 2011 an Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, Dr. Mitri Raheb, Stanislaw Petrow & Dr. Denis Mukwege. Deutscher Medienpreis. 5 October 2018. de-DE.
  51. Web site: Dr Denis Mukwege, un Médecin Contre le Viol, Arme de Guerre à l'est de la RD Congo . La Tribune Franco-Rwandaise. 30 November 2013. 21 March 2019.
  52. Web site: Dr. Denis Mukwege Honored for work as a physician and advocate for women survivors of wartime violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.. Civil Courage Prize.
  53. Web site: Dr. Denis Mukwege recognized for his tireless and courageous work on behalf of women victims of rape in war-torn DRC. . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131206235209/http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2013/08/05/human-rights-first-selects-dr-denis-mukwege-to-receive-human-rights-award/ . 6 December 2013 . dead.
  54. News: 'Alternative Nobel Prize' awarded for courageous work healing women victim of war-time sexual violence . . 26 September 2013 .
  55. Web site: Denis Mukwege, Laureate of the 2013 Prize for conflict prevention. Fondation Chirac . 10 October 2013 . 22 October 2014.
  56. Web site: Clinton presents Advancing Women in Peace and Security Awards . 26 February 2014 .
  57. News: Human rights activist to receive the Inamori Ethics Prize at Case Western Reserve University: Higher Education Roundup. Farkas. Karen. 10 September 2014. The Plain Dealer. 5 October 2018.
  58. Web site: Le Prix Solidarité . 16 October 2014 . 25 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170606035009/https://www.prix-solidarite.be/le-prix . 6 June 2017 . dead .
  59. Web site: Denis Mukwege: winner of Sakharov Prize 2014. European Parliament/News. 21 October 2014. 22 October 2014.
  60. News: DR Congo doctor Denis Mukwege wins Sakharov prize. BBC News. 21 October 2014. 22 October 2014.
  61. Web site: Médico distinguido por tratar mulheres violentadas no Congo. Notícias ao Minuto. 17 July 2015. 17 July 2015.
  62. Web site: Read Dr. Denis Mukwege's Speech Accepting the 2015 Champion of Peace Award. womenforwomen.org. 16 November 2015 . 5 October 2018.
  63. Web site: Dr. Denis Mukwege, Prix Fondation pour l'Egalité des Chances . 18 January 2016 . 23 January 2018 . 26 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180726051923/https://www.egalitedeschancesenafrique.org/dr-denis-mukwege-hopital-panzi/ . dead .
  64. News: Fortune's World's Greatest Leaders – Denis Mukwege. 24 March 2016. Fortune. 5 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181005153906/http://fortune.com/worlds-greatest-leaders/2016/denis-mukwege-35/. 5 October 2018. dead.
  65. News: Champions for refugees, violence victims cited by Fortune for…. Wulfhorst. Ellen. Reuters. 5 October 2018.
  66. News: The Four Freedom Awards. 18 April 2016. Forward with Roosevelt. 5 October 2018.
  67. News: Congolese gynecologist wins Seoul Peace Prize. Lee. Kyung-min. 2 September 2016. The Korea Times. 5 October 2018.
  68. Biden . Jill . Denis Mukwege . Time . Time . 18 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200618125422/https://time.com/collection-post/4298232/denis-mukwege-2016-time-100/ . 18 June 2020.
  69. News: Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for Fighting Sexual Violence. Callimachi. Rukmini. 5 October 2018. The New York Times. 5 October 2018. Gettleman. Jeffrey. Kulish. Nicholas. Mueller. Benjamin.
  70. Web site: Magazine. Ladybrille. 30 November 2018. New African releases its list of 100 Most influential Africans. 5 January 2021. Ladybrille® Magazine. en-US.
  71. Web site: UMU . Activists against rape and sexual violence in combat named honorary doctors . 18 June 2010 . 11 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000736/http://www.medfak.umu.se/english/about-the-faculty/news/newsdetailpage/activists-against-rape-and-sexual-violence-in-combat-named-honorary-doctors.cid134699 . 6 October 2018 . dead .
  72. Web site: UCL – Université Catholique de Louvain . Fête de l'université 2014 – Doctorats honoris causa . 3 February 2014 . 3 February 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140130071507/http://www.uclouvain.be/docteurshonoriscausa2014.html . 30 January 2014.
  73. News: Harvard awards 10 honorary degrees at 366th Commencement. 25 May 2017. Harvard Gazette. 5 October 2018.
  74. Web site: Doctor and rights activist honoured . The University of Edinburgh . 5 October 2018.
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  76. Web site: Denis MUKWEGE — Docteur honoris causa — Rentrée académique 2018–19. fr. .
  77. Web site: Penn Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients. en. .
  78. Web site: DR. DENIS MUKWEGE, MÉDICO E NOBEL DA PAZ, RECEBEU DOUTORAMENTO HONORIS CAUSA PELA NOVA. 28 May 2019. pt. .
  79. Web site: L'UdeM remettra ses doctorats honorifiques aux cérémonies de collation des grades. 31 August 2021. fr. .
  80. Web site: The Man Who Mends Women: The Wrath of Hippocrates (2015). www.filmaffinity.com.

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