Women who took part on Monday, March 30, in Kinshasa at a forum dedicated to integrating gender into the future National Security Policy recommended that the “gender dimension” be fully incorporated into this new framework currently under development, in order to “better protect Congolese citizens.”
“Women are not merely beneficiaries of security; they are frontline actors, in prevention, community alert systems, social cohesion, mediation, resilience, and reconstruction,” emphasized Prime Minister Judith Suminwa before women from civil society and women’s rights organizations.
The forum, whose organization was supported by MONUSCO, aimed to promote greater participation of women in security institutions and bodies, particularly within the army, the police, intelligence services, customs, and the National Security Council.
The Women’s Forum is part of the ongoing process of developing the National Security Policy, currently led under the coordination of the National Security Council.
During the discussions, figures were presented regarding women’s representation within the army and the police. Within the Armed Forces of the DRC, women account for 2.13% of general officers. This figure drops to 0.03% within the Congolese National Police.
The Government I have the honor to lead is guided by the firm conviction that without inclusion and integration of gender in national security policy, it would in no way be possible to speak of a credible security policy.
For Judith Suminwa, a security institution that is not representative of society deprives itself of essential skills, information, and trust.
For her part, Faida Mwangilwa, focal point of the Women’s Advisory Group for Security Sector Reform (GCFRSS), which organized the forum, lamented the persistent obstacles to women’s integration into security services.
She stressed the need to overcome stereotypes and remove structural barriers that limit women’s recruitment and career advancement, despite their competencies.
« A strategic imperative »
In his remarks, Mame Ely Dieng, head of the Rule of Law and Security Institutions Division (ROLSID/MONUSCO), argued that integrating gender into the security sector is not merely a normative requirement or an international commitment.
According to him, it is above all a “strategic imperative to ensure the effectiveness, legitimacy, and sustainability of national policies.”
He notably recalled that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 calls for the integration of the gender dimension into policies and actions related to peace and security, and advocates for increased participation of women in peace processes as well as the protection of their rights in times of conflict (including conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence).
Integrating women’s perspectives is not only about recognizing their essential role, but also about ensuring that our security architecture faithfully reflects the realities, needs, and aspirations of all citizens. Consequently, a policy that neglects these vital forces would remain incomplete and therefore less relevant, less effective, and certainly less legitimate.
At the end of the forum, recommendations included improving institutional policies and practices within the defense and security forces; appointing competent women to command chains and decision-making positions; and fully integrating the gender dimension into the future National Security Policy.
