Les Kombattantes
Project supported by Fight For Dignity
A three-time world champion in karate, Laurence Fischer founded Fight For Dignity (FFD) in 2017 to use sport as a means of placing the body at the centre of resilience and reconstruction processes for women victims of violence. In 2019, she was appointed Ambassador for Sport at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Initiated by Fight For Dignity, this project offers women suffering from trauma as a result of sexual violence the opportunity to rebuild their lives, reclaim their bodies and regain their self-confidence through the practice of karate and football. The total budget for the project is estimated at €67,050 over a period of 1 year.
Context
For more than 20 years, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been suffering from wars that have resulted in massive human rights violations, particularly of girls and women. A report by Médecins Sans Frontières published in 2014 states that in some areas of the Kivu region, nearly 3 out of 4 women have been victims of rape.
After an initial experience in Afghanistan, Fight For Dignity approached the Panzi RD Foundation, founded by Dr Denis Mukwege, to begin actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Within the Dorcas House, Fight For Dignity and the Panzi Foundation DRC are cooperating to set up a programme to support and build the resilience of young women who have been victims of sexual violence in the Kivu region, so that they can rebuild their lives through sport.
Objectives
- Physical and psychological reconstruction of young women victims of sexual violence
- Reparation of physical damage (especially to the perineum) and reappropriation the body through sport
- Preparation for a return to “normal” life and reintegration into the community through the appropriation of sports practice, or even its transmission to the community
Activities
- Weekly practice of karate and football
- Medical (care, psychological follow-up…) and social follow-up
- Accompanying young women and women in the transmission of the FFD method in their community
Impact
- Physical and psychological reconstruction of women victims of violence
- FFD method practiced and taught by women
- Women trained in karate and accompanied by FFD at the Panzi Foundation in the DRC
Photo credit: Fight For Dignity
Location
RD Congo
Project led by
Fight for Dignity
Start date
Date to be defined
Project status
Project to support
Sustainable development goals
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