1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stefan 2 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: ever told your prediction of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 2: And welcome back to another feminist around the world. And 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 2: today we are talking about the work and activism of 5 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 2: Julian Lusinghai and LUCINAI is a journalist, broadcaster and activist 6 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and she 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: has become a leader in the country as her work 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 2: has earned her numerous accolades and titles. And as per usual, 9 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 2: when we talk about people international people, we are trying 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 2: our damn dists. I feel like this is said on 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 2: everyone and just in case you're new, we are trying 12 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: our best with the names and the countries. It's really 13 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 2: hard when you are American centric and they don't think. 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 2: I guess the internet is like, you don't need to 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: know this because we can rarely find the pronunciations. So 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 2: bear with us. If it's not correct, and you know 17 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 2: the correct pronunciation, please let us know with kindness, because 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: we do want to learn. We need a whole like 19 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: library so that people can have that too. If one 20 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: day who can build it up, I'd be a great resource, right, 21 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 2: amazing because you know, trying to remember people to get 22 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: people's names, and then countries, and then small areas and 23 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: then all the things. 24 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: Y'all. 25 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 2: It's difficult. So, like I said, we're trying our best. 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 2: But if you have the actual correct pronunciation of anything, 27 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 2: please let us know. We would love that and maybe 28 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 2: we can again bank it somehow and then put it 29 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 2: as a resource as an idea for future times. Yes so, 30 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 2: But before all of the titles and accolades came, Lucingey 31 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 2: started out as a journalist in the Eastern DRC. Born 32 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 2: in Watsa, or the Congolese providence of Awele, she was 33 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: raised by strong parents who taught her to fight for 34 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: justice and speak her mind. She told the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. 35 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: My father mother taught me to speak out and to 36 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: defend my ideas. I grew up in a family where 37 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 2: it was only natural for my mom and dad to 38 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 2: talk to each other, even if they didn't agree. From childhood, 39 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 2: my parents taught me to fight against injustice, not to 40 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: see others suffer and go away. 41 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: This led to her career, where she first started with 42 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: a community radio station in nineteen seventy eight. There she 43 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: would begin her time collecting stories around her community she 44 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: recalled to Aurora. Being a journalist gave me access to 45 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: local villages in a more intimate way. Women knew me 46 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: and trusted me. I saw glaring inequalities, a woman who 47 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: did not dare speak just because she was in front 48 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: of a man, or the traditional chief, Women who were 49 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: abused but who could not talk about it for fear 50 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: of further violence. I thought to myself, if I have 51 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: had the opportunity to be educated and have the opportunity 52 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: to speak, why not continue to help other women speak 53 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: for themselves? And she would continue to collect stories of 54 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: injustice and inequalities of the women in her country and 55 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: made sure to give voices to those who couldn't tell 56 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: their stories themselves. 57 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: So she goes on in her interview saying the DRC 58 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: my home has been a place of conflict for decades. 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 2: I saw my neighboring province of Ituri dissolve into conflict 60 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety seven, when the fault lines between ethnic 61 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 2: groups were exploited by warlords and community leaders. Being ignored 62 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 2: due to my ethnicity in places I had once been 63 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 2: welcomed was deeply painful, but it also deep in my 64 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: empathy for those I had connected with for so many years. 65 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 2: We started to receive shocking reports of armed groups raping 66 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 2: women in the communities. It was too much. I had 67 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: to get involved. I began to document cases and challenge 68 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: local leaders of armed groups. I begged them to stop 69 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: using violence against women as a weapon of war. This 70 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: is how he became known in the international community the 71 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: quote rape capital of the world. I knew that I 72 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: could not could not rest until my beloved country was 73 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: known differently. 74 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: And it was in two thousand that she and seven 75 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: other journalists came together to start the Women's Solidarity for 76 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: Inclusive Peace and Development or SOOFEPADI. And here's some information 77 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: about their organization from their websites. They work to promote 78 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 1: and defend the specific rights of women and girls. They 79 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: aim for a Congo in which women and girls have 80 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: the same access to basic social rights as men. Their 81 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: services include prevention and treatment of gender based violence and abuse, 82 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: assisting them legally, medically, and psychologically. They also continue in 83 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: working with these survivors to train them for trades and skills. 84 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 2: Here's a bit more information thanks to Wikipedia. The group 85 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 2: came together to bring the issues of gender based violences 86 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: to the attention of international organizations working in the region 87 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 2: included the United Nations. Their plan was to assist survivors 88 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: covering from trauma, helping them to navigate the judicial system 89 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 2: and bring the propartrators of sexual assault to justice. 90 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: And also from the Aurora interview quote, its goal is 91 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: to make sure the Congolese government and the UN recognize 92 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: the devastation of rape and its use as a weapon 93 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: of war and to support the survivors of sexual violence. 94 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: Part of Soofepadi is a hospital and mobile clinic providing 95 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: holistic medical and psychological care to survivors of sexual violence. 96 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: In twenty ten to twenty twenty, the medical center received 97 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: and treated six two hundred and eighty four people, including 98 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: five hundred and sixty seven internally displaced people. Sofepadi also 99 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: encourages socioeconomic reintegration with income generating activities, apprenticeships and school reintegration, 100 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: and provides the survivors with legal advice and representation in court. 101 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 2: And With this organization, Lusinghay also launched the Fund for 102 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 2: Congolese Women or the FFC, which helps secure funding for 103 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 2: congose women's rights groups and also has partner to start 104 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 2: the Media Matters for Women organization which focuses on quote 105 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 2: rudging the digital divide for isolated women and girls in poor, 106 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 2: remote communities in Africa who like access to information about 107 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 2: their rights and are at risk for gender based violence 108 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 2: and deepening poverty. 109 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: And of course with all of this, she has been 110 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: ampointed to different leadership positions to continue to advocate for 111 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: her community, including by the World Health Organization in twenty 112 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: twenty to investigate claims of sexual exportation and abuse by 113 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: aid workers, being in charge of the critical issues of Women, 114 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: peace and security, good governance, democracy, elections and Human Rights 115 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: for the High Panel during the twenty twenty DRC presidency. 116 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: Right and with all this, she has been given many 117 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 2: accolades and awards, including in twenty twenty she was recognized 118 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 2: by the United Nations as the first of twenty Women 119 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 2: to Watch for her advocacy work. In twenty twenty one, 120 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 2: she was the Aurora Laureate the twenty eighteen International Women's 121 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: Rights Award for the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, 122 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 2: and she was given the French Government Award for Human 123 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 2: Rights in twenty twelve. So she has done a lot 124 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 2: and continues to do a lot. She was a really 125 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 2: big advocate and worker and leader for the DRC during 126 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 2: the pandemic. And we know there's a lot happening in 127 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: the Congo region right now and we don't want to 128 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 2: neglect that. 129 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: Obviously. 130 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 2: We're trying to bring out as many conversations about these 131 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 2: amazing women who are working during times of conflict. Yeah, 132 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 2: I think you might see a pattern. Yeah, and we 133 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: do want to keep talking about it. There's not much 134 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 2: we can do, but we can keep talking about the 135 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 2: individuals who are doing so much during such a harsh time. 136 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and as always, listeners, if you have any suggestions, resources, 137 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: follow ups, Jess let us know. You can email us 138 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: at stephanieamoms Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find 139 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: us on Twitter at momstap podcast, or on Instagram and 140 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: TikTok at Stuff. We've Never told you. We have a 141 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: tea public store and we have a book that you 142 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: can get wherever you get your books. Thanks as always 143 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: to our super producer Christina, our executive force through Maya, 144 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: and your contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you 145 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: for listening. Stuff will Never Told you a production of iHeartRadio. 146 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, you can check 147 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: out the heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or where you 148 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.