Germaine Furaha Mirindi’s research while affiliated with Université Evangélique en Afrique and other places

Stereotypical beliefs about male honor often impede the social reintegration of rape victims. We conducted a qualitative study in Kalehe territory in the province of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, to understand strategies that facilitate the continuity of married life despite dishonor due to the rape of their wife. We interviewed men and women in eight couples separately. Our respondents implemented marital survival mechanisms that had not been thought out or planned. These strategies mainly involved a symbolic acceptance of women after rape. In our sample, some men remained in their marriages despite the perceived economic, sexual, and identity-related emasculation that made them less than men. Others engaged in polygamy. The presence of children born of rape made it difficult to their mothers for social reintegration. However, female children born from rape seemed to better reintegration than boys because of house chores, and marriage, from which their stepfather would benefit a bride price. The boys, on the other hand, were considered as herders and a potential danger associated with their biological fathers. In conclusion, our study shows that, although women reintegrated their matrimonial homes, they experience violence due to the hegemonic masculine socialization and patriarchal foundations.

Mountainous South Kivu is an agropastoral zone in Democratic Republic of Congo where small-scale agriculture is predominant. Due to its location and potential, this region contributes to the food security of the population of South Kivu and neighboring territories. This research aimed to establish a characterization of small-scale farming in this area in order to highlight the factors that differentiate farms. To achieve this objective, we adopted a holistic approach coupled with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and Student's t-test for data analysis. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 211 farmers in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The results revealed that differentiation of farms is based on the number of plots per farm, the choice of production systems, the cropping system, the land tenure, the gross margin, the gross value added, and the net farm income achieved at farm level. Therefore, solutions such as access to finance allowing farmers to diversify their production system, the restoration of security in rural areas, the rehabilitation of the existing and creation of new feeder roads, and the setting and promotion of very strong and dynamic farmers' structures would allow a significant development of agricultural activities in the study area.