Kindu, 8 March 2011 – In Kindu, Maniema province, all female staff of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), joined by local women from different walks of life, converged on a public place and listened several speeches delivered on this year's theme for the International Women's Day.

In this eclectic celebration, European expatriate women were seen walking side by side their Congolese and other African counterparts in perfect harmony. All of them seemed to understand that, although coming from different cultures and backgrounds, they basically shared the same ideals: the quest for gender equality.

Rigobert Yuma Ndwani Walumba/ Radio Okapi/ MONUSCO