INVESTIGATION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN EASTERN DRC S TRENGTH S There are a number of notable strengths to this study. First, the study represents the only time that data from Panzi Hospital, in the heart of the conflict region, have been analyzed. As an established regional referral center for sexual violence, Panzi Hospital has the advantage of being able to collect a large quantity of data, in a consistent manner and over long periods of time. Second, the project was able to build a five-year registry of sexual violence data by overcoming the intensely laborious and time-consuming process of data extraction and entry. To do so required the effort of six data enterers working intermittently over an 18-month period. Third, the large sample size and multi-year data allow for robust statistical power, as well as a unique examination of trends over time. These data have significant power to reveal important trends in violence against women for policy makers and programmatic organizations. And finally, the narrative format of the questionnaire revealed qualitative insights into patterns of sexual violence. This qualitative analysis was instrumental in supplementing and supporting the quantitative results. The study findings themselves are extremely valuable. Data on the location and time of attack have significant implications for the protection of women. Also, evidence documenting the militarization of rape and the brutal pattern of rape is important for documenting atrocities committed against civilians. Additionally, the insight gained from studying sexual violence patterns over time underscores what has been reported only anecdotally until now: that the epidemic of rape in South Kivu has seeped into civilian life and that there has been a normalization of sexual violence within the community. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first time that civilian adoption of rape has been documented in a quantitative manner. The information reported here has also been presented to Panzi hospital staff to aid them in understanding sexual violence trends and the implications of those trends for patient care. Interim reports on the data were also translated into French for hospital personnel. F UTURE W O RK This study provides a unique view into the nature and scope of sexual violence in South Kivu and also a unique position from which to view a number of important unanswered questions. PROSPECTIVE REGISTRY OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE DATA AT PANZI HOSPITAL Next steps include the implementation of a prospective sexual violence registry at Panzi Hospital using a revised questionnaire with specific questions on the location, time and circumstances of the attack as well as the number and identification of perpetrators and the type of sexual violence. Information on location of attack will be detailed enough to permit a unique Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of the patterns of attack. The questionnaire will 49