Spaces of marginalization [equal] margins of resistance: Congolese women's testimonies facilitate rhetorical agency

Abstract

US and Western European discourses tend to articulate women in the developing
world within a Western context, perpetuating the image of women of the developing
world as "third world" silent victims. Testimonies are a powerful medium for indigenous
peoples to advocate for change and define experiences for themselves as well as for their
communities (Smith, 2008). In this thesis, I draw on postcolonial feminist theories,
theories on testimonio, vernacular rhetoric, and rhetorical agency to frame an analysis of
multiple artifacts wherein Congolese women are shown speaking glimpses of their
testimonies about the rape they endured. Other artifacts show women holding an
international audience accountable for their political complicity. Although these artifacts
are intended to circulate to an international audience and position the women as victims,
they nonetheless show Congolese women as speaking subjects who discursively
challenge the silencing effects that rape as a weapon of war can have in women in the DR
Congo. This analysis provides insight into the implications of Congolese women's
enactment of rhetorical agency while arguing that the academic conversation about
rhetorical agency should include agents from developing worlds.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Teresa Maria Linda Scholz (Supervisor)