Rape is frequently used as a weapon of war. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo since fighting broke out in 1998.
Despite the launching of the peace process in 2003, soldiers from armed groups and the national army continue to sexually assault people living in the eastern provinces of the country.
Thousands of other girls are recruited or forced to join armed groups where they risk rape. Here two girls tell their story.