Congolese gynecologist wins Seoul Peace Prize

Denis Mukwege

By Lee Kyung-min

Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor, has won the 13th Seoul Peace Prize for his efforts in helping some 48,500 woman and child rape victims during the civil war in his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the prize organizers said, Friday.

"He contributed to human rights improvement for women and children by treating the victims of the unethical war where rape was used as a means of war," the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation said.

"He also demonstrated bravery by devoting himself to raising international awareness about the situation to end the civil war."

Mukwege, 61, founded Panzi Hospital in DR Congo in 1999 amid the armed conflict in his country that left hundreds of thousands of people brutally murdered, raped, or displaced.

Alongside setting up the hospital, he established Maison Dorcas, a long-term rehabilitation program for rape victims.

Under the program, victims are offered treatment, consultation, job training, as well as lessons in writing, reading and basic math. It also offers them enough small rooms where up to 180 people can stay for about three months.

The need to set up the "dormitory" came after he realized that about 60 percent of the rape victims could not go back home due to the rejection they'd face from family members, especially from husbands and male relatives.

According to the foundation, Mukwege said that what is more important than offering the victims medical treatment is to help them restore their dignity so they can realize that what happened was not their fault.

Further, in a more fundamental approach to solve the atrocious situation, he gave a speech at the United Nations in September 2012, condemning the DP Congo government and UN members for not seeking prompt measures to put an end to the war.

A month after the speech, he almost lost his life as an armed man broke into his house and tried to kill him, after which he moved to France with his family.

However, in January 2013, he returned to his home country, following the spike in numbers of patients awaiting his help in Panzi Hospital.

The 2008 United Nations Human Rights Prize winner was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the European Union's Sakharov Prize in 2014, and an honorary Doctor of Laws by Harvard University last year.

The award ceremony for the Seoul Peace Prize will be held on Oct. 6 in Seoul. Mukwege will be given a plaque and $200,000 in prize money.

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