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Wife of John McCain tries to bring attention to violence against women in the Congo and more in recent trip
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-- can't -- -- thank you thanks for having me you're just back from Congo.
-- did you go that well I sit on the board of an organization and the eastern Congo initiative which was sent to -- the culprit that -- me and word observing and we are going to observe the elections and we have a vested interest in Congo because we supports.
Community based organizations.
Scary it's a wonderful organization and -- out of was founded by Ben Affleck and it's they've done remarkable work there am very proud to be part -- it.
What's it like to file landed then that in that kind Elena and start driving around them what I see.
Well you see what you would expect seeing -- -- underdeveloped country which is poverty and -- -- you know just did it people living in the streets almost kinds of things spread the undercurrent that's what's a little bit different about Congo.
There as you know there's been horrendous problem with rape.
With with -- using.
Army's values -- terms as the earliest one army -- -- -- -- -- I'm a band of a bunch of people doing bad things.
But they're really really treating their their their women and children very very badly there and there and women and children taking the brunt of this and so.
I these elections are coming up in November are extraordinarily important because I believe Congo's on the custody of the either stepping into.
A fledgling democracy or stepping back in time and basically imploding.
Now we think what I what I read about the Congo and industrialist is seen other thousands of women raped everyday so just go -- the newspaper doesn't really sort of resident.
But when you actually sort of actually go to this place experience and see -- -- the women who you know -- -- now -- of the number numbers are staggering how well.
I've had them the number that it hits me the most I think -- 22 out of every three women Congo and raised.
And you know CB sang in -- crowd a united coupon I'm excited you have been raped at sometime or another and multiple times.
This isn't just something happens once you know once once a while for these people it's repeated.
It it's it's a failure of the government obviously that's an understatement it's a failure.
I believe the international community -- -- pay close attention to what's going on there.
And so were my job and and our job until the election occurs is she encouraging international community to get involved in common observe -- the observers of this.
We had kind of a Cadillac collection in 2006.
With the UN basically running the show.
That's not the case this time -- were worried about violence were worried about its you know all kinds of problems that could erupt from us.
-- -- a lot of those countries is a humanitarian issues the atrocities being on strike a chord and it's in it's so painful.
If you have to stop and think about our -- of these places.
But there's also so than the national security issue especially the country than in most American city of -- made maybe six that you like well we eloped problems here.
Wouldn't you know why why should I care about Condo but actually NN national securities standpoint we should care resizing human rights week.
When you're actually right we should care because if we don't hear the bad guys bit of bad guys and bad guys -- care pardoning.
-- it's eight feet in Garrett -- Congo -- it has vast mineral wealth that has kind of -- ability to be truly a leading country in.
For many reasons because they're such as -- beautiful place as well.
But things certain you know things are being treated for the wrong reasons and things are being and things are being misused and the bad guys are in there.
And so I think from a national security and -- aspect is really important that we pay attention to these elections because this.
We're talking about a country that is the size of Europe.
I mean this is no small place it took us for a half hour supply from one side -- the other the other day that's a long way.
And of course the the economic consideration if I mean.
First up we have -- like Iran getting in there and take an -- for example there but also you know as we -- -- compete in the in in the world economically do we want you know a country like China to have you know.
All their their trade -- somehow -- a seventy and not not to sound selfish but we are part of a global economy and we want to compete fairly.
Right we do want to compete -- And there are countries in their right now they're not competing apparently and that do not have the best interests of the people Congo at heart either.
It's it's it.
-- -- so many different dynamics going on and so many different problems.
Our organization focuses on you know be humanitarian issue.
Regarding these in regard to the country -- but these elections are gonna have consequences on everything and -- you know from a humanitarian standpoint.
We may wind up with another crisis -- -- this really goes well.
And of course the JR we rely on that would put on a -- right next door and that's than humanitarian crisis bleeds -- -- -- spoken Chinese women and and what did they say -- a lot of times you have people are so oppressed that they that they don't answer realize how bad it is.
You know in in every country that I've I've been to it it is the women that are the most resilient they take the worst the -- of everything.
They are the most resilient and they have -- most focusing where the country New Mexico.
I'm always inspired when I mean he's he's women have been -- things I can't even imagine.
And yet there there.
Pushing for good government they're pushing for you know for child health care they're pushing for maternal health care.
Gary there in the forefront when it's dangerous and they're still doing -- and I just I don't where it comes from and you know -- I don't know it I don't know how they how they get to a point where they can keep going and not care for their life but -- it's the right thing to do.
They're really remarkable.
Monica let's do our blog about it on Greta wire allot a lot between on the election I want to a lot on that and then maybe -- -- -- -- some time.
And so that people learn more about it because and other lots of places in the world have lots of -- But at least as the week with the prime make a difference quickly and that's that's more -- with cancer and they get nice to see you thank you.
