User:Dwetter2/sandbox

= Immaculee Birhaheka = Immaculee Birhaheka is a Congolese human rights activist and the co-founder and President of the organization Promotion et appui aux initiatives féminines (PAIF). For her work, Birhaheka has received several international awards and recognitions.

Founding of PAIF
PAIF, or the Promotion et appui aux initiatives féminines (Support of Women's Initiative Foundation), was founded in 1993 by Birhaheka and female colleagues. They founded PAIF in order to empower Congolese women who face social inequality and violence. PAIF has a shelter in Goma, the capital city of North-Kivu, a north-eastern providence in the Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) that borders Rwanda. There are also several safe houses scattered around North-Kivu. At the shelter and safe houses, women are taught literacy and income generating skills that they can use to improve their social standing.

First Congo War (1996-1997)
           After the Rwandan genocide in 1994, many perpetrators fled to eastern Congo. In 1996, Rwandan and Ugandan forces invaded Congo to search for them, and with their backing Laurent Désiré Kabila overthrew the sitting dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko. During this conflict, a common tool of war used by both sides of the conflict was sexual violence against women. While PAIF was initially an organization to promote the social equality of women, it also became a rape crisis center and victim advocacy network. Along with many other victim testimonies, a conversation with three generations of women who had all been raped in three unrelated attacks during the First Congo War were the catalysts for Birhaheka to shift her efforts to ending sexual violence against women.

Birhaheka and PAIF had a very important role in bringing this human rights violation to international attention. She was very outspoken about rape as a weapon of war, and held peace rallies, spoke with Congolese officials, worked with international NGOs, and even spoke to the African Union about the disturbing prevalence of sexual violence in Congo.

Continued Conflict
           While there is no official war currently, there are several militant groups still operating in eastern Congo, including the The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, The Allied Democratic Forces, The Lord's Resistance Army, The National Liberation Forces, and Mai-Mai Militias. Birhaheka remains in eastern DRC continuing to advocate for and help women.“The name of the military operation has changed, but the situation remains the same: women are still being killed, maimed, abused like animals”

Awards
In 2000, Birhaheka was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Right Defenders for her work with PAIF and her political activism. In 2009 she received the Bremen Solidarity Prize, a 5000 Euro endowment awarded by the Senate of Bremen, Germany.