When: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010, noon-1 p.m. (EDT) (GMT -4)
Who: Dr. Lynn Lawry, study author and Senior Health Stability/Humanitarian Assistance Specialist, International Health Division/Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, U.S. Dept. of Defense.
Where: Go to http://discuss.prb.org. You may submit questions in advance and during the discussion.
A full transcript of the questions and answers will be posted after the discussion.A new study conducted in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has revealed that perpetrators and victims of high rates of sexual gender-based violence in the region include large numbers of both men and women and are associated with increased post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, as well as physical health outcomes.
The study, co-funded by the U.S. Dept. of Defense's Africa Command, the International Medical Corps, and McGill University, was published in the Aug. 4, 2010, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/304/5/553).
These findings challenge the myth that women do not have the capacity to commit atrocities despite recent prosecutions for such crimes. Policymakers and donors need to adjust societal paradigms of sexual violence and direct attention to female perpetrators and male survivors in regard to rehabilitation and justice. National and international communities will need to develop and expand programs, policies, and protection strategies, including United Nations Security Council resolutions, to include male survivors and to address female perpetrators. Improved access to basic health care with a focus on sexual violence and mental health programs is needed on a large scale in the eastern DRC.
Join Dr. Lynn Lawry, study author and senior health stability/humanitarian assistance specialist in the International Health Division/Office of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, as she answers your questions about these new gender findings and including men and boys in combating sexual violence.
This Discuss Online session is sponsored by the BRIDGE project, a cooperative agreement between USAID’s Global Health Bureau and PRB.
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