Gathered on August 11, 2026, in Goma, Bukavu, Beni, Bunia and Kinshasa, some 120 members of civil society organizations reflected on the role of women in the ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Women’s organizations are calling for a concrete role in early warning, tension prevention, information gathering and the consolidation of lasting peace. They no longer want women to be confined to “symbolic participation” that prevents them from becoming “agents of peace.”
At the conclusion of the national forum on the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, held in the Kilima Hall at the MONUSCO office in Goma, with participants joining by videoconference from Beni, Bunia, Bukavu and Kinshasa, women from civil society expressed their desire to have a greater influence on the mechanisms guiding the peace process in the DRC.
Before that, together with their male civil society colleagues, they spent a day discussing the peace processes currently underway, particularly those in Doha and Washington, as well as the ceasefire monitoring mechanism and opportunities for women to participate in these various initiatives.
The forum also aimed to strengthen women’s capacities so that they could better understand their role and potential as peace actors within their communities.
From victims to agents
Women are paying a heavy price for the violence tearing apart eastern Congo: gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence, forced displacement, loss of livelihoods and daily insecurity continue to affect their lives.
But they refuse to be viewed solely through the lens of victimhood. They are demanding a role in mediation, early warning and community outreach.
In neighborhoods, villages, markets, schools and families, women are often the first to notice changes in the security environment. According to the participants, this close connection with communities is an essential resource for preventing crises and strengthening ceasefire monitoring.
This is the view of Isabelle Pendeza, president of the Collective of Women’s Associations for Development (CAFED):
“The peace process must involve women, not as flowers to decorate the negotiating tables, but as actors on an equal footing with men.”
According to her, the ceasefire cannot be assessed solely in negotiating rooms.
“For the women of Goma, for the women of North Kivu, the ceasefire must be felt every minute: at the market, in the fields, at home, on the roads and in schools,” said Isabelle Pendeza.
MONUSCO’s role
Chairing the meeting, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Acting Head of MONUSCO, Vivian van de Perre, encouraged participants to use the discussions as an opportunity to develop concrete proposals.
“At the end of this work, you will have the opportunity to develop an advocacy document to submit to MONUSCO leadership,” she said, assuring participants that the document would be carefully reviewed and shared with the various partners concerned.
She also commended the work of the MONUSCO Gender Section, United Nations Headquarters in New York, and partners committed to promoting the participation of women and girls in building lasting peace.
For her part, Nathalie Traoré Kone of the MONUSCO Gender Section recalled that MONUSCO’s primary role is to provide “substantive and logistical” support to the ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
She clarified that MONUSCO is not the body responsible for directly determining ceasefire violations. Rather, the UN mission supports the mechanism established by the parties, particularly the expanded joint verification mechanism.
Sentinels of peace
Despite the challenges, women in North Kivu say they have not abandoned their commitment. In Goma’s 18 neighborhoods, women have established a network of peace ambassadors. Women mediators are also involved in resolving community conflicts, particularly land disputes, which account for a significant proportion of the local conflicts identified by their organizations. Drawing on this experience, they put forward several recommendations to make ceasefire monitoring more effective.
Among other things, they are calling for the institutionalization of networks of women mediators and peace ambassadors, as well as the women’s caucus; protection and greater attention for women working on the ground; the establishment of rapid early-warning mechanisms connected to women’s organizations and authorities; and increased funding for their initiatives.
The meeting received strong support from participants joining by videoconference from Goma, Bukavu, Bunia, Beni and Kinshasa. They all shared their concerns, experiences and proposals for strengthening their involvement in the ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
Mignone Zaina of the Bester Foundation welcomed the opportunity for women’s voices to be heard by UN experts and the various actors involved in the process.
She called for the effective implementation of the recommendations arising from the forum so that women in eastern DRC and throughout the country can participate effectively in resolving the conflicts that continue to cause suffering and loss of life in the region.
The women who participated in the forum were unequivocal: women’s participation in the various peace processes must no longer be treated as an add-on to the peace process.
Jean-Claude Wenga
