{"id":2067569,"date":"2025-10-03T21:21:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T21:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2067569"},"modified":"2025-10-03T21:21:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T21:21:27","slug":"duchess-sophie-hears-harrowing-stories-of-rape-survivors-in-democratic-republic-of-congo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/duchess-sophie-hears-harrowing-stories-of-rape-survivors-in-democratic-republic-of-congo\/","title":{"rendered":"Duchess Sophie Hears Harrowing Stories of Rape Survivors in Democratic Republic of Congo"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Duchess Sophie<\/a> is on a mission to support women who have been impacted by sexual violence in conflict<\/a>, and this week, she headed on a secret four-day trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Duchess of Edinburgh<\/a>, 60, has made the issue a major part of her royal work and visited the country from September 29 through October 2 to learn what’s being done to help women in the war-torn area.<\/p>\n

In 2019, Sophie announced her involvement with the UN\u2019s Women, Peace and Security Agenda and U.K.\u2019s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. She then visited the DRC in October 2022, sharing (via the Independent<\/em><\/a>) that while she as honored to return this week, “I wish it was in happier times.”<\/p>\n

Meeting with survivors, including a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by a police officer, Sophie highlighted the work of local organizations who are providing essential services to women and girls in the DRC. Per the Independent<\/em>, the duchess told reporters, “You have to really question yourself and go \u2018how can we have reached a point where rape is just accepted as a part of daily life?\u2019<\/p>\n