MONUSCO organizes debate over sexual violence at a university

8 Apr 2013

MONUSCO organizes debate over sexual violence at a university

Goma, 20 March 2013 – On 18 March, as part of the women's month activities, the Gender and Public Information divisions of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), in collaboration with the students' committee of the "Université Libre" in Goma (ULPGL), organized a debate around the theme "Students in the face of the various forms of violence at the university environment".

The purpose of the debate was to encourage students to promote gender equality and to take necessary actions to combat violence against women at the University. More than 200 students and several MONUSCO officials attended the debate.

MONUSCO Gender official in Nord-Kivu, Asseta Ouedraogo, recalled the debate fit into the women's month internationally commemorated on 8 March. She also recalled "Nord Kivu has been subjected to a cycle of armed conflicts for 20 years. In this context of violence, women suffered the most from the violence and thousands of them were raped in this province."

At the university, however, "the causes of rapes or sexual harassment have nothing to do with armed conflicts," highlighted Benoite Kavira, vice-president of the students' committee.

Each MONUSCO representative attending the debate urged female and male students to adopt a responsible attitude as future leaders and participate in the fight against all forms of sexual violence against women.

Clara and Bernadin Nyangi/ MONUSCO