Around thirty women, members of village savings and loan associations, took part on April 8 in Goma (North Kivu) in a training workshop focused on the role of women and girls in peace consolidation, sustainable empowerment, and the integration of gender into the MONUSCO mandate.
Organized on the sidelines of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, the workshop was implemented by the national organizations Groupe d’Action d’Appui au Développement (GAAD) and Agir Ensemble pour la Paix et le Développement (AEPaD), with technical support from MONUSCO, as part of its partnership with these two organizations.
According to Nathalie Koné Traoré from MONUSCO’s Gender Section in Goma, this activity is part of a broader effort to equip partner organizations, particularly regarding women’s participation in the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, monitoring ceasefire mechanisms, and preventing gender-based violence.
“In a specific context such as Goma, it is impossible to consolidate peace without the active participation of women. Their involvement is essential, particularly for collecting reliable information related to the circulation of weapons and cases of gender-based violence. It is therefore crucial to establish informal mechanisms enabling them to alert and share this information with MONUSCO,” emphasized Nathalie Koné Traoré during her remarks at the workshop.
Concrete Initiatives
Furthermore, as part of this partnership, MONUSCO provides financial support to AEPaD and GAAD through quick-impact projects aimed at improving living conditions and strengthening social cohesion.
Through its project management unit and Gender Section, MONUSCO is currently funding four quick-impact projects in the city of Goma, totaling just over 180,000 US dollars.
These ongoing initiatives notably contribute to improving access to reproductive health services, supporting survivors of gender-based violence, and enhancing urban security through public lighting.
Among these projects is the construction of a health center with a maternity ward, intended to serve a population of more than 12,000 people living around Goma’s city hall. This infrastructure will be built on land provided by the municipality, within the CASOP health area, in the Goma health zone.
In addition, a public lighting project is being implemented along several major avenues in the city, helping to secure public spaces.
In total, 90 solar-powered lamp posts are planned to strengthen public lighting.
Regarding the maternity project, Valérie Waso, representative of GAAD, praised MONUSCO’s support in the areas of maternal health, prevention of gender-based violence, and reproductive health at the end of the workshop. She highlighted the decisive role of women in community alerts, reporting violence, and local peacebuilding initiatives.
“We commend MONUSCO’s support, particularly its financial contribution to the construction of this maternity ward, which will improve care for women in distress living around Goma’s city hall. On this occasion, we also recall that women play a major role through community alerts, reporting violence, and local peacebuilding initiatives,” she stated.
Women Engaged in Conflict Prevention
For the participants, the workshop was a real opportunity to learn more about women’s empowerment.
“The workshop helped me better understand how to meet my needs while contributing to peace. Within our association, we launched a duck farming and sales activity, which helps us support our families. I also learned how to report cases of gender-based violence through available mechanisms and hotlines,” testified Faraja Lubungo, president of a savings and loan association (AVEC) in Kiziba II.
Like her, other participants also expressed their willingness to contribute to peace in their communities.
“Thanks to this training, I now understand the importance of my voice in the community. I will remain attentive to situations of violence and tensions and report them to the relevant authorities. Every alert can help prevent conflicts and protect women and children,” said Esther Amina, another participant.
In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the security situation remains fragile, ceasefire monitoring mechanisms offer opportunities for direct involvement of women, particularly through the collection of community alerts and information sharing with protection actors. In this context, MONUSCO’s interventions integrate a gender perspective to strengthen women’s participation and improve the effectiveness of stabilization and civilian protection efforts.
Aline Kataliko
