Matadi, 12 June 2013 - The Office of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) organized this Wednesday in Matadi, Bas-Congo province, a workshop on the country's electoral process and the protection of women's rights. The meeting was organized by the Electoral division and MONUSCO Gender Office, in partnership with the provincial office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI in the French acronym) and the NGO "Pole d'Action Genre et Election".

The workshop aimed at identifying the obstacles to a better representation of women and their participation to the electoral process, and to propose strategies that will help overcome these obstacles.

A total of 70 members of the Congolese National Police Force (PNC) and the Congolese armed Forces (FARDC), as well as local authorities, and representatives of the civil society and political parties participated in the workshop.

Maimouna Traore/ MONUSCO