A safe space for girls who've faced sexual violence

""Let's listen to one another." That's what the word toyokana means in Lingala, a local language in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the Toyokana Center in the capital city of Kinshasa, listening is their mission. It's a facility for girls to come to be treated after sexual assault and also to be heard. "Creating this kind of a safe space was really the main demand from these girls," says Loa Falone, a social worker at the center."

"After years of working with young girls, Falone has seen that many cases of sexual violence occur within families. "A girl who was raped by her father won't know in whom she can confide, whether her mom or someone else, she just won't know if she can feel safe to do that," says Falone. "There was really a strong desire to have a safe space where these girls will be heard, protected and taken care of.""

"For three days, the participants ages 13 to 24 discussed the challenges they faced. Sexual violence kept coming up. "Almost all of those girls were either survivors of sexual violence or they were in very close proximity," says Ramatou Toure, chief of child protection at UNICEF DRC who helped organize the girls forum. "I'm talking sister, mother, cousin of a child who had been abused.""

Toyokana means "Let's listen to one another" in Lingala. The Toyokana Center in Kinshasa provides medical treatment and a protected listening space for girls who survive sexual assault. The center was created in response to girls' demand for safety, protection, and someone to confide in. Many incidents of sexual violence occur within families, leaving survivors unsure whom to trust. The center's idea grew from a 2022 forum of 100 girls ages 13 to 24 where sexual violence repeatedly surfaced. UNICEF reports sexual violence against children has risen over four years, with over 45,000 recorded cases last year and likely significant underreporting.

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