Uvira, 20 March 2015 – MONUSCO explained its mandate and activities to a local NGO “SOS Villages d'Enfants d'Uvira” in a sensitization session organized by its public information office; altogether sixty people including 50 women received information and clarifications not only on the Mission’s mandate but also on the role of women in the political area.

This activity organized for an NGO that takes care of abandoned and underprivileged children came at the right time, in a month of March dedicated to women to help them know their rights.

In the DRC, as highlighted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), women are poorly represented in the public institutions, say, 8% at the National Assembly and 5% at the Senate, just to mention those few examples. This led Martin Kobler, Chief of MONUSCO to declare on 8 March: “without women’s participation, no peace can be envisaged; without women no development can be envisaged! That is why I congratulate the Congolese people who daily commit themselves to build the future of the DRC. Ladies, your task is not only to give birth: you can make a precious contribution to build the world, you are the world.” Françoise Ngendahayo of UN Women/DRC for her part stated on the same occasion: “We do support Government’s policy and efforts to build the capacity of women by accelerating the gender-parity process and the building of a more equitable and just world.”

Discussions focused on the barriers against the promotion and empowerment of the Congolese women: the weight of the traditions and customs, the under-schooling of young girls and conflicts, poverty.

A few recommendations were issued as a result of the discussions; inter alia, the need for the Government to take courageous and gradual actions to enforce the laws on parity between men and women. They also highlighted the need for educating young girls on issues such as those relating to the gender across the territory of Uvira to get women to become aware of their rights and build their capacities for political participation. Some participants recommended that Government takes coercive actions against sexist and discriminatory behaviors towards women.

Copies of the UNSC Resolution 1325 on women’s participation to the political decision making process was circulated to the participants, in the form of brochures and MONUSCO magazines.

Jean-Tobie Okala