BEYOND PHYSICAL SCARS: THE WEAPONIZATION OF WOMEN IN THE CONGO CONFLICT AND ITS ENDURING IMPACT

The paper showcases the concept of embodied resistance in war-torn areas characterized by identity-based disputes. It focuses on how marginalised bodies, particularly women, challenge power hierarchies through a feminist lens. It contends that these conflicts often make the body a site of struggle, where power dynamics are both enforced and challenged. This paper examines the Congo conflict as a case study, assessing the various ways in which women's bodies are weaponized, the terrible repercussions for survivors, and the ongoing difficulty in resisting this heinous practice. This investigates the systematic weaponisation of women's bodies where sexual assault has been utilized not only as a weapon of war, but also as a means of control and humiliation. The systematic use of sexual violence against women has been an especially heinous aspect of this pervasive violence, turning their bodies into battlefields. It demonstrates how sexual assault in the DRC goes beyond individual suffering, serving as a planned tactic to destroy communities, displace populations, and erode cultural coherence, and drawing on feminist theorists like Cynthia Enloe, Carol Pateman, and Karen  Bouwer,  the roles of militarism in perpetuating gendered violence. The study emphasizes how resistance is shaped not simply through organized activism.