On 10 and 11 March 2026, more than 230 women and girls took part in two awareness-raising days organized in the displaced persons sites of Djangi in Drodro and Rho, in the Bahema Nord chiefdom, Djugu territory in Ituri.
Organized as part of International Women’s Day, the activity was conducted by the Gender Section and the Civil Affairs Section of MONUSCO, with the participation of peacekeepers from the Bangladeshi contingent and technical support from the NGO Hope for Peace and Development (HPD).
Amid the security challenges that the province of Ituri continues to face, women and girls are among the primary victims of conflict-related violence, including sexual violence and forced displacement. Yet they are also key actors of peace, prevention and resilience within their communities.
Strengthening women’s empowerment and participation
At the Djangi site, nearly 200 women first took part in discussions on women’s rights and their participation in local prevention and protection mechanisms. The exchanges also emphasized the need to break the silence surrounding rape and sexual violence.
These discussions highlighted efforts undertaken to strengthen women’s empowerment. Console, who lives at the Djangi site, praised the continued support of MONUSCO:
“Thanks to MONUSCO, women have been trained to produce soap. This helps us greatly in promoting women’s empowerment.”
Community Liaison Assistants from the Civil Affairs Section also raised awareness among participants about the importance of women’s involvement in community protection mechanisms and in the search for lasting peace. Several women expressed their willingness to join local protection committees in order to contribute more actively to security in their area.
The day was also marked by a self-defense demonstration carried out by Bangladeshi female peacekeepers, illustrating the contribution of women to peace and protection efforts.
For greater participation of women in security decision-making
On 11 March 2026, at the Rho site, more than 30 women participated in a reflection day dedicated to the international, national and provincial themes of International Women’s Day. The discussions helped identify the obstacles to women’s participation in local prevention and protection mechanisms and explore ways to strengthen their involvement.
For José Claire, vice-president of the Rho site, this exchange platform was essential:
“The theme of International Women’s Rights Day in Ituri is rights, justice and women’s empowerment. We are grateful to MONUSCO’s Gender Office for these initiatives. We also ask the authorities not to forget women during security meetings, because mothers are often the ones who suffer the most during war. Life in the site remains very difficult and gender-based violence is a reality. We hope that disarmament will help bring back peace. For our part, we will continue to raise awareness among mothers, girls and boys in the community in order to contribute to peace.”
At the end of the meeting, the participants made several recommendations, including strengthening awareness-raising on women’s rights, ensuring more effective representation of women in community decision-making structures, and multiplying dialogue platforms with local authorities.
They also committed themselves to actively participate in community protection and early-warning mechanisms, to raise awareness among other women and girls about their rights, to report cases of gender-based violence, and to promote a culture of peace and non-violence within their communities.
Through these activities, MONUSCO reaffirms its commitment to strengthening women’s participation in conflict-prevention mechanisms and in the protection of civilians, as part of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. In Ituri, these meetings serve as a reminder that women are not only victims of conflict—they are also indispensable actors of peace.
Didier Vignon Dossou-Gbakon
