DRC: Sharing Their Stories

This collective story cloth was made by a group of women who worked in the gold mines in Democratic Republic of Congo. There, violent bosses rape the female workers regularly and with impunity. 

In the Common Threads Project group, the women found the courage to share their stories, overcome shame and stigma, and build a sense of solidarity and community. As the group reached its final months, they came together to create a group story cloth. They joined their voices, and stitched their story that proclaimed, “This is What We Will No Longer Tolerate.”

When they were finished with the story cloth, they chose to share it with the Common Threads Project team in New York. They wanted to share their story far and wide so that others around the world would know what happened to them — and not let it continue. 

You can view this, and other participant story cloths, in our ongoing virtual exhibition.